iiiirais  HfsrniiicAi  survey 


Q. 977. 3393' 


♦  I         o    / 


9 


Official  Book 


OF  THE 


Fort  Armstrong  Centennial 

Celebration 


1816     1916 


iLiiHiiis  mmm  mnvi 


OFFICIAL  BOOK 

OF  THE 

Fort  Armstrong  Centennial  Celebration 

June  18th-24th,  1916 

Rock  Island  and  Moline,  Illinois 
and  Davenport,  Iowa 

1816-1916 

Prepared  by 

The  Rock  Island  County  Historical  Society 
and  The  Historical  Section  of  the  Davenport  Academy  of  Sciences 


Rock  Island,  111. 

E.   O.  Vaile,  Jr. 

1916 


Copyright  1916 
E.  O.  Vaii.e,  Jr. 


Engiav'ings  by 

Photo  Art  Engraving  Co. 
Rock  Island,  Illinois 

Printing  and  Binding  by 

Fidlar  8c  Chambers 

Davenport,  Iowa 


Copper  Axe,  covered  with  cloth 
Curved-base  Stone  Pipe 


Handwork  of  the  JMound  Builders 

Flint  Spearhead 
Ornamental   Pot 


Stone  Axe 
Curved-base  Stone  Pipe 


These  specimens  from  local  mounds  are  in  the  Davenport  Academy  of  Sciences  Museum 


^.9^7, 


K  i 


Before  the  White  Man  Came 

liy  lulward  K.  I'liliuiiii 


JHEN  the  wliite  man  "discovered"  America,  the  land 
was  already  occupied  by  a  red  skinned  race  now 
known  in  a  f^eneral  way  as  American  Indians.  The 
first  whites  were  pleased  to  call  these  people  sav- 
aLjcs,  hut  in  reality  thev  had  a  civilization  of  their 
own  wliicli  in  four  resjions  on  the  two  continents  had  reached  a 
remarkably  high  standard  of  culture.  These  four  regions  were 
the  AIississip])i  and  Ohio  \'alleys,  the  home  of  the  so-called 
Mound  lUiilders  ;  ?iIexico.  of  the  Aztecs:  Central  America,  of 
the  Mayas :  and  Peru,  of  the  Incas.  The  region  up  and  down 
the  Mississippi  and  Rock  Rivers  within  fifty  miles  of  Fort  Arm- 
strong contains  hundreds  of  the  earthen  mounds  built  by  these 
early  people.  Just  when  they  were  built  is  difficult  to  say ; 
more  than  that  it  was  before  contact  with  the  whites.  I'rom 
the  objects  found  in  these  mounds  can  be  gained  a  good  idea  of 
their  culture,  (jne  of  the  largest  collections  of  these  objects  is 
found  in  the  Museum  of  the  Daven])ort  Academy  of  Sciences. 
The_\-  belonged  to  the  stone  age,  as  shown  1)\-  their  stone  axes, 
flint  spear  heads  and  arrow  heads,  carved  pipes,  and  many  other 
implements  and  ceremonial  objects.  They  had  developed  the 
art  of  poltery-niaking  and  also  the  making  of  bone  and  shell 
articles.  They  wove  clotli  and  mats.  They  worked  in  the 
native  copper  by  hammering  it  into  form,  although  they  did  not 


understand  melting  or  hardening  it.  They  had  developed  agri- 
culture, hunting,  and  fishing.  They  were  travelers  or  traders, 
because  in  a  single  mound  might  Ije  found  copper  from  Michi- 
gan, shells  from  the  (julf  of  Mexico,  mica  from  Eastern  Ten- 
nessee, and  obsidian  from  the  Black  Hills.  They  had  a  sen,se 
of  the  artistic,  especirdb;  in  the  use  of  ornament,  and  it  seems 
an  appreciation  of  landscape  as  shown  by  their  selection  of 
high  bluff^s  with  a  wide  outlook  for  their  groups  of  mounds. 

l'rol)abh'  a  jiart  of  the  same  race  were  tiie  Indians  who  still 
inhabited  the  country  when  settled  by  the  whites.  The  special 
tribe  of  Indians  associated  with  this  immediate  locality  was  the 
"Sacs  and  h'oxes,"  or  more  ]irobably  the  Sauks  and  .Meskwakis. 
The  term  Reynards  or  I'oxes  was  used  erroneously  by  the 
French.  The  two  tribes  were  so  closely  allied  as  to  be  regarded 
as  practicalh'  one  tribe.  They  belonged  to  the  .\lgonf|uin  stock. 
These  Indians  had  come  from  the  Green  Bay  region  and  at  the 
end  of  the  eighteenth  century  had  their  large  settlement  at  the 
junction  of  the  Rock  River  with  the  Mississijipi.  This  was  the 
tribe  of  Black  Hawk,  Keokuk,  Poweshiek,  and  many  famous 
chiefs.  When  finally  moved  to  the  Indian  Territory  and  Kan- 
sas, part  of  the  trilie,  chiefly  the  Meskwakis  or  Foxes  returned 
to  Iowa  and  now  live  in  Tama  Count\-. 


■5  — 


Antoine  Le  Claire 


Col.  George  Davenport 


To  the  Pioneers 

li\  Alice  I'iciicIk  "Oclciir  I'liaiicf^ 


;X  s\iieral  wt-  think  little  i.nriii<;h  of  the  makers  of  our 
countiy,  the  men  ami  women  to  whose  sacrifices  and 
whose  courage  we  owe  our  days  of  luxury.  But 
once  in  a  while  our  sloth  is  ])rodded  into  attention. 
P'or  a  little  space  we  remember.  Then  we  recognize 
something  of  the  innneasurahle  debt  which  we  owe  to  the  Pio- 
neers. 

A  hundred  years  ago  where  were  our  great  warehouses  and 
factories,  or  the  mansions  and  the  gardens  full  of  delicate 
jileasures  and  beauty  which  are  on  every  hill?  For  one  moment 
let  us  pause  to  salute  the  vanished  courage  and  endurance  and 
vision  which  gave  them  to  us. 

Let  us  think  of  the  buiklers  of  h'ort  Armstrong  and  of  the 
men  and  women  who  dared  all  the  perils  of  the  wilderness  to 
raise  their  log  cabins  where  now  are  busy  streets  and  marvels 
of  light  and  transit  beyond  their  dreams  of  witchcraft.  For  a 
moment  let  us  salute  the  hard  hands,  the  keen  eyes,  the  swift 
feet,  the  strong  hearts  of  the  past. 

Do  we  realize  what  we  owe  these  strong,  inarticulate  souls? 
They  did  their  amazing  work  unconscious,  themselves,  how 
greatly  they  wrought.  In  the  span  of  a  single  century  they 
transformed  a  wilderness  into  an  empire.  Rome  had  not  its 
power  or  its  wealth. 

Abraham  Lincoln  was  a  type  of  their  sinewy  force.     He  had 


their  l)roa<l  Init  kind.ly  humor,  their  essenti;il  cleanhncss  of  soul 
if  not  always  of  speech,  their  indomi;;d)le  cour;ige,  their  dogged 
patience,  their  breadth  of  vision  which  came  from  solitary 
living  in  wide  spaces,  their  patriotism,  and  their  deep  tender- 
ness of  heart. 

Perhaps  from,  some  of  the  itinerant  preachers  of  the  time 
Lincoln  learned  the  eloquence  which  should  become  a  i>art  of 
our  habitual  thought.  These  men  often  had  a  rude  force  of 
speech  :  sometimes  they  rose  to  heights ;  often  their  appeal  was 
permeated  with  the  noblest  and  simiilest  diction  in  the  W'Orld, 
that  of  the  Bible. 

The  life  of  the  pioneers  was  bare  and  rugged.  They  had 
toil,  privation,  danger.  They  died  unlended  in  lonely  forests: 
they  had  no  easement  of  pain  in  their  wounds  of  battle  or  am- 
bush ;  there  were  Init  meagre  medicaments  of  herbs  for  the 
fevers  that  came  out  of  the  swamp;  the  ghastly  stories  of 
massacre  and  torture  which  were  told  at  every  fireside  any  time 
might  have  ghastly  confirmation.  There  were  few  pleasures 
and  those  of  the  rudest.  Vet  on  the  whole  it  may  be  questioned 
if  their  life  was  not  happier  than  ours.  It  was  a  full  life.  It 
had  the  joy  of  work  and  accomplishment.  It  was  interesting. 
If  it  had  not  the  beauty  of  art,  it  had  the  beauty  of  nature  to 
sweeten  it.  And  it  had  all  the  primitive  happiness  of  family 
love   and   conn\'ideship.      It    hail    the    throbbing   excitement   of 


—  7  — 


Earlv  Moline.  about  1840 

Showing  the  Sears'  mills,  the  first  factories,  and  the  brush  dam.  the  first  dam  to  be  built  in  the  Mississippi  River 


combat  with  man  or  nature,  and  the  exultant  tln'ill  of  victory. 
Probably  the  Pioneers  wasted  little  time  or  misery  on  analyzing 
their  own  emotions,  and  less  on  uplifting  their  neighbors. 
Their  imagination  and  their  invention  took  the  practical  lane  of 
better  cultivation  of  their  fields  and  better  ways  of  travel. 
When  it  did  wander  into  the  fields  of  beginning  finance  and 
started  banks  antl  paper  money  which  should  pay  itself  out  of 
future  prosperity  it  went  th.e  usual  rapid  pace  to  misfortune. 
But  this  is  really  a  later  story. 

In  time  men  of  lineage  and  education  came  to  Illinois  and  to 
Iowa.  It  will  be  interesting  to  lowans  to  learn  that  Illinois 
settlements  had  a  sad  reinitation,  even  so  early  as  the  days  of 
Richard  Flower,  who  settled  in  .-Mbion  in  the  first  half  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  A  lady  of  Philadelphia  said  to  him : 
''Friend  Flower,  wilt  thou  take  thy  family  to  that  infidel  and 
wicked  settlement  in  Illinois?" 

Nevertheless  Flower,  an  Fnglish  gentleman,  did  settle  in 
Illinois  and  prospered  and  was  happy. 

A  score  of  names  will  instantly  come  to  us,  among  the  later 
Pioneers,  names  still  honored  on  both  sides  of  the  great  river. 
Clark,  the  explorer :  Edwards,  the  first  Illinois  governor :  Dun- 
can, the  far-sighted :  Ford,  who  saved  the  honor  of  Illinois. 
Locally  there  were  the  Wells.  Spencer,  the  Case  families  ;  Sears, 


who  developed  the  local  water  power:  Stephens,  Deere,  \\'eyer- 
hauser,  and  Denkmann,  great  pioneer  manufacturers;  Buford, 
the  soldier;  \'an  Sant.  Cable,  Alitchell,  and  many  more,  and 
over  the  river  the  Davenport,  Antoine  Le  Claire,  who  kept 
faith  alike  with  while  man  and  red;  the  Cooks,  Price,  \'an 
Tuyl,  Grant,  Alitchell,  Allen,  Burrows,  Eldridge,  Stibolt,  Claus- 
sen,  Alueller,  (daspell,  merchants,  hankers,  lawyers,  statesmen, 
farmers,  alike  staunch  and  true  of  heart.  Xor  should  we  forget 
the  priests  and  the  ministers  of  religion,  the  Iowa  band  of  the 
Congregationalists,  the  circuit  riders  of  the  Methodists,  the 
first  Bishops  of  Illinois  and  Iowa,  Kemper,  Lee,  Cosgrove, 
alike  soldiers  of  God  whatever  their  banner,  Father  IVla- 
mourgues,  the  intrepid  Sisters  of  St.  IMary — these  are  but  a 
few  of  the  makers  of  the  three  cities. 

And  behind  the  leaders  are  the  strong  and  silent  manv  who 
fought  without  flinching,  hostile  man  and  liostile  nature  :  and 
to  whose  obscure  heroism,  resoiuTefulness,  and  self-sacrifice  we 
owe  what  we  have  today,  not  only  a  material  prosperity  but  in 
the  fiber  of  soul  which  beneath  our  seeming  softness  has  their 
iron  strain,  and  shall  the  need  come  will  enable  ns  like  them  to 
give  all  we  have  and  all  we  are  to  our  country. 

Therefore,  we,  inheritors  of  their  blood  or  of  their  works, 
irratefulh'  and  reverentlv  salute  them. 


—  9  — 


Fort  Armstrong,  about  1S45 

From  a  Daguerreot>'pe 


The  Story  of  Fort  Armstrong 


By  On-ill  S.  Holt 


h  )  propurly  coinprelieiid  the  liistorv  of  I'ort  Arm- 
strong and  the  locality  in  which  it  stoo;l,  one  must 
go  back  to  the  time  of  the  discovery  of  America  to 
get  the  sequence  of  events  which  had  to  do  with  its 
building.  Every  maritime  nation  of  the  world  en- 
deavored to  share  in  the  results  of  the  discovery  of  the  new 
cotitinent. 

Spain  sought  treasure,  tribute  from  the  natives,  and  religious 
concjuest.  France  sought  commerce  and  religious  converts, 
while  colonists  from  other  countries  sought  homes  and  escape 
from  persecution.  Spain  conquered,  robbed,  and  destroyed  the 
natives ;  France  preached  to  them,  lived  with  them,  and  inter- 
married with  them ;  while  the  colonists,  who  later  became 
known  as  Americans,  ruthlessly  pushed  the  Indians  before 
them,  taking  their  lands  for  cidtivation  and  permanent  settle- 
ment. 

Following  a  period  of  discovery,  conquest,  colonization,  and 
national  rivalry,  came  a  time  wdien  Mexico,  including  Texas, 
the  Southwest,  ami  California,  was  dominated  by  Spain ;  the 
thirteen  original  colonies  by  England ;  and  Canada  and  Louisi- 
ana by  France.  The  territory  included  in  the  Louisiana  Pur- 
chase, of  wdiich  Iowa  was  a  part,  after  its  savage  ownership  be- 
longed first  to  France  and  then  to  Spain.  Napoleon  compelled 
its  relinquishment  to  France  in  1801,  but  wdien  he  proposed  to 

—  11 


occupy  it  the  L'nited  States  objected  with  the  result  that  the 
United  States  acquired  it  by  purchase  in  1803.  After  the  war 
with  .Mexico  another  immense  piece  of  former  Spanish  territory 
was  accjuired  by  the  United  States,  which  included  Texas  and 
California  and  the  intervening  territory.  liut  for  these  acquisi- 
tions the  L'nited  States  w-ould  have  been  bounded  bv  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  on  the  west  and  we  should  have  had  a  powerful 
neighbor  with  whom  to  divide  honors. 

Hand  in  hand  religious  zeal  anrl  commercial  ambition  lead 
the  I'^rench  priests  and  explorers.  In  the  wav  of  the  St. 
LawTence  and  the  Great  Lakes,  far  into  the  interior  of  North 
.America  when  it  was  an  unknown  wilderness  to  the  rest  of  the 
world.  In  1(108,  twelve  years  before  the  landing  at  Plymouth 
Rock,  Champlain  planted  the  first  French  colony  at  Quebec. 
In  1(134  Jean  Nicolet,  the  French  explorer,  reached  Saulte  Ste. 
.Marie  at  the  outlet  of  Lake  Superior.  Eventually  French 
priests  and  explorers  endeavored  to  connect  Canada  and  Louisi- 
ana by  means  of  a  line  of  forts  and  missions.  Alarquette  and 
Joliet,  priest  and  explorer,  opened  the  way  in  1673.  when  they 
made  their  memorable  trip  from  Mackinac  through  Green  Bay 
and  the  Fox  River,  over  the  portage,  and  down  the  Wisconsin 
River  to  its  mouth.  They  arrived  at  the  Mississippi  River 
June  17th  and  must  have  passed  the  island  of  Rock  Island  a 
short  time  after.     This  explorer  and  his  com])anion  priest  con- 


Fort  Armstrong',  Davenport,  Rock  island,  and  Aiolinc  1844 

From  a  paintinfi  by  J.  C.  Wild 


tinned  to  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas  River,  and  returnin,;;', 
passed  up  the  Ilhnois  River  and  entered  Lake  Michigan  at  the 
present  site  of  Chicago.  In  1681  the  ilhistrious  I.a  Salle  traced 
tlie  Mississippi  River  to  its  mouth,  and  with  him  oriq'inated  the 
idea  of  circumventing'  tlie  colonies  of  iMigland  on  the  Atlantic 
shore  with  a  band  of  French  territory,  which  should  enable 
France  to  possess  the  great  river  valleys  of  the  interior  and  the 
better  part  of  the  continent.  In  this  ambitious  purjiose  they 
sought  opportunity  for  missionary  work  and  couuiiercial  ad- 
vantage rather  than  colonization. 

England  entertained  views  similar  to  those  of  France  as  to 
the  destiny  of  the  interior.  The  King  of  England  decreed  that 
it  should  be  the  perpetual  home  of  the  natives  and  forbade  his 
subjects  to  encroach  beyond  the  territory  whose  waters  flowed 
into  the  Atlantic.  The  colonists,  however,  looked  with  covetous 
eyes  on  the  rich  agricultural  lands  west  of  the  Allegheny  Moun- 
tains, and  in  spite  of  the  King's  command  began  to  seek  homes 
beyond  the  western  frontier.  The  rival  claims  of  England  and 
France  to  the  interior,  brought  on  a  clash  between  the  English 
colonists  and  the  Canadian-I'rench  in  which  the  mother  coun- 
tries, being  hereditary  enemies,  naturally  joined.  When  these 
conflicts  finally  ended  the  claim  of  France  to  Canada  was  ex- 
tinguished and  England  succeeded  to  her  claims  in  the  North- 
west. The  conquest  of  Canada  by  England  failed  to  settle  the 
controversy  over  the  possession  of  the  interior.  The  Revolu- 
tionary War  broke  out  soon  after  and  at  its  termination  the 
English  colonists  became  a  new  and  independent  nation,  suc- 
ceeding to  England's  original  claim  to  the  interior,  while  Eng- 
land had  succeeded  to  that  of  b'rance.  The  same  contest  con- 
tinued with  a  new  alignment  of  parties. 

—  13 


The  l'"rench  liad  fraternized  with  the  Indians  aiul  generally 
were  at  peace  with  them.  When  luigland  con(|uere(l  New 
b'rance  the  h'rench  frontier-men  remained  as  F.ritish  subjects 
and  England  succeeded  to  some  extent  to  the  good  will  of  the 
Indians  toward  the  l-"rench.  The  .\mericans,  however,  being 
colonists  and  desiring  land  possessions,  were  cordially  hated 
and  distrusted  by  the  natives.  These  facts  explain  to  some  ex- 
tent the  attitude  of  the  Indians  in  the  controversy  which  fol- 
lowed over  the  possession  of  the  valle}-  of  the  Mississippi  in 
1812-1814.  It  was  the  pro-British  attitude  of  the  Indians  that 
called  for  the  building  of  I'^ort  Armstrong. 

That  the  territorv  now  occupied  by  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois, 
Michigan,  and  Wisconsin  is  a  part  of  the  Ihiited  States  and  not 
of  Canada,  is  due  largely  to  the  enteriirise  and  militar\'  skill  of 
Cicn.  George  Rogers  Clark.  Ilis  success  as  the  representa- 
tive of  the  commonwealth  of  \'irginia  in  gaining  possession  of 
the  Illinois  country,  put  America  in  a  position  to  maintain  the 
( ireat  Lakes  as  her  northern  boundary  at  the  close  of  the  next 
important  military  event  in  our  history,  the  second  war  with 
(ireat  IJritain,  the  War  of  1812.  During  Clark's  conquest  of 
the  Illinois  territory,  which  was  coincident  with  the  War  of 
the  Revolution,  Clark  sent  a  detachment  under  Col.  John  Mont- 
gomery in  1780  to  sulidue  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians  which  re- 
sulted in  the  burning  of  the  Indian  town  of  Saukenuk.  This 
was  a  local  event  of  the  Revolutionary  War. 

In  1805,  following  the  Louisiana  1 'urcha.se  of  1803,  Zebulon 
Pike,  after  whom  Pike's  Peak  was  named,  made  a  tour  of  ex- 
ploration through  the  west  in  the  interest  of  the  government. 
A  part  of  his  mission  was  to  conciliate  the  Indians  ;md  win 
their  allegiance  from  Great  l!ritain.     .\n  interesting  incident  of 


Alonument  on  Campbell's  Island 


Major  Zachary  Taylor 

In  command  ai  the  Battle  of  Credit  Island 


his  trip  was  the  raisin^-  of  the  first  .\nierican  flag  in  this  part  of 
America,  when  he  -s-isited  the  Indian  town  of  Sankenuk,  near 
the  mouth  of  Rock  River.  Here  he  found  the  (\a.g  of  England 
flying.  He  presented  the  Indians  with  the  .Stars  and  .Stripes, 
which  they  consented  to  raise  :  hut  th.ey  refused  to  take  down 
their  British  flag,  claiming  to  desire  friendship  with  hoth 
countries. 

In  this  age  of  rapid  transit  and  instantaneous  communica- 
tion, it  taxes  our  imagination  to  realize  the  conditions  existing 
in  the  days  when  the  west  was  the  subject  of  controversy  be- 
tween the  L'nited  .States  and  Great  Britain.  It  took  bravery 
an!  patriotism  of  a  high  order  to  go  hundreds  of  miles  into  the 
Indian  infested  interior  with  no  means  of  transportation,  except 
canoes  and  keel  boats,  with  only  Indian  trails,  and  no  means  of 
communication  betwei.n  distant  points.  Tl-ese  conditions  ex- 
isted at  the  outbreak  of  the  War  of  uSij,  two  battles  of  which 
were  fought  near  the  island  of  Ivo:k  Island  in  1S14. 

Governor  William  Clark,  made  famous  by  the  Lewis  and 
Clark  Expedition  to  the  Pacific  coast  and  a  brotlnr  of  Gen. 
George  Rogers  Clark,  kft  St.  Louis  in  the  spring  of  1814  with  a 
military  expedition  for  Prairie  du  Chien,  captured  that  British 
out-post,  and  built  the  first  American  fort  north  of  Alton.  L'poti 
Clark's  return  to  St.  Louis  an  expedition  was  started  under 
the  command  of  Capt.  John  Campbell  to  reinforce  the  garrison 
left  at  Prairie  du  Chien.  When  the  expedition  got  as  far  as 
the  mouth  of  Rock  River,  it  fell  in  with  Indians  in  considerable 
numbers,  who  manifested  no  hostility,  .\fter  Campbell  had 
passed  on  up  the  river,  a  messenger  from  the  British  com- 
mander in  the  north  arrived  and  notified  the  Indians  that  it  was 
their  duty  as  British  allies  to  comijly  with  their  promise  to  pre- 


vent an\-  Americans  from  ascending  the  river.  Thereupon 
Black  Hawk  and  his  band  followed  Campbell's  boats,  and  over- 
took them  at  an  island  about  five  miles  above  the  island  of  l\(jck 
Island,  which,  from  this  circumstance,  has  since  been  known  as 
Canipbell's  Island.  Finding  the  boats  hampered  by  the  swift 
cm-rent  of  the  ra]>ids  and  a  high  wind,  one  boat  having  been 
driven  ashore,  the  Indians  attacked  and  defeated  them,  destroy- 
ing one  of  Campbell's  three  boats,  killing  sixteen  men.  and 
wounding  others,  including  the  commander,  and  compelleil  their 
return  to  St.  Louis.  U]ion  their  arrival,  another  and  larger 
expedition  came  up  the  river  under  command  of  Major  Zachary 
Ta}lor.  who  afterwards  attained  distinction  in  the  Mexican 
^^'ar  and  as  President  of  the  United  States.  The  purpose  of 
this  expendition,  which,  consisted  of  334  men  in  nine  keel-boats, 
was  to  jHinish  the  Indians  for  their  attack  on  Campbell's  i)art\- 
and  to  establish  a  fort  near  the  Indian  village,  which  should 
keep  the  Indians  in  check,  and  the  line  of  communication  open 
to  points  u|)  the  river.  In  the  meantime  the  British  had  re- 
captured the  post  at  Prairie  du  Chien  and  Lieut.  c;raham 
had  descended  to  the  island  of  Rock  Island  with  British  soldiers 
and  several  cannon,  to  assist  the  Indians  in  blockading  the  river 
at  that  point.  When  Major  Taylor's  expedition  reached  the 
mouth  of  Rock  Ri\Tr  it  encountered  a  wind  storm  so  severe  as 
to  make  it  necessary  for  him  to  l;ind.  He  chose  as  a  landing 
place  a  willow  island  near  the  Io\v;l  shore  about  two  miles  be- 
low the  island  of  Rock  Island,  and  about  sixty  yards  above 
Credit  Island,  now  known  as  Suburban  Island.  Lieut.  Gra- 
ham, of  whose  presence  31ajor  Taylor  was  ignorant,  taking- 
advantage  of  the  storm  and  the  darkness  of  the  following  night, 
removed  his  men  and   canunn  across  the  main  channel  of  the 


■15  — 


rt      5 


o       o 

o     - 


ri\cr,  tlirou,t;h  what  is  now  the  husiiK'ss  section  of  Davenport, 
to  an  advanta,<;'eous  point  for  an  attack  at  <layH,i;lit.  'I"hc  un- 
expected onslaught  by  British  regulars  armed  with  canncm  and 
reinforced  by  1,500  native  warriors,  was  more  than  Major 
Taylor  was  able  to  face,  so  be  abandoned  the  purpose  of  his 
mission,  retreated  as  far  as  \\'arsaw.  and  built  Fort  Edwards 
instead. 

Three  successive  defeats  in  one  year  convinced  the  Americans 
tliat  all  prospects  of  controlling  the  valley  of  the  upper  Missis- 
sippi depended  upon  subduing  these  war-like  natives.  Con- 
sequently in  September,  1815,  the  lughtb  United  States  In- 
fantry, under  command  of  C'ol.  R.  C  Nicholas,  was  sent  from 
St.  Louis  to  establish  a  fort  on  or  near  the  island  of  Rock 
Island.  This  expedition  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Des  Moines 
River  in  November  where  they  were  stopped  by  ice  and  re- 
mained through  the  winter.  Col.  William  Lawrence  succeeded 
to  the  command  during  the  winter.  The  following  April  Brig. 
Gen.  Thomas  A.  Smith  with  his  regiment  arrived,  took  com- 
mand, and  proceeding  up  the  river  arrived  at  the  island  of  Rock 
Island,  May  10,  1816.  Gen.  Smith  endeavored  to  meet  the  Sac 
and  Fox  Indians  in  council  but  they  refused  to  attend. 

There  were  about  11,000  Indians  in  the  vicinity  at  that  time. 
Their  principal  village,  Saukenuk,  was  on  Rock  River  where 
their  council  house  stood.  Their  settlement  and  corn  fields 
covered  the  islands  in  Rock  River  and  the  point  of  land  between 
the  rivers  at  their  confluence,  as  well  as  both  sides  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  island  of  Rock  Island. 
This  was  the  largest  Indian  settlement  in  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try- and  one  of  the  largest  in  North  America.  Their  numbers 
and  [iro-British  s\'mpathies  made  tlieni  an  important  element  in 


the  controversy  over  ])OSsession  of  the  .Mississippi  \'alle\.  JMirt 
.\rmstrong,  which  their  presence  niaile  necessary,  was  of  the 
ordinary  frontier  tyiie,  but  usually  striking  in  appearance,  due 
to  its  location  on  the  precipitous  ledge  of  rock,  forming  the 
lower  point  of  the  island  of  Rock  Island. 

The  name  "Rock  Island."  which  this  island  has  borne  since 
it  had  a  name,  was  ap])lied  because  of  its  striking  contrast  to 
the  other  islands  in  the  river  which  are  generally  alluvial  with 
low  sloping  shores.  The  island  has  been  in  the  continuous 
possession  of  the  government  of  the  L'nited  States  since  the 
Indians  parted  with  it  by  treaty  in  1804,  although  Col.  George 
Davenport  and  David  B.  Sears  w'ere  each  allow-ed,  by  special 
acts  of  Congress,  to  secure  title  to  parts  of  it,  in  consideration 
of  services  rendered  to  the  goA'ernment.  Subsequently  their 
holdings  were  appraised  and  taken  back  by  the  government 
when  it  was  determined  to  establish  the  Rock  Island  Arsenal. 

Chief  Black  Hawk  called  Rock  Islam  1  the  most  beautiful 
island  in  the  Mississippi,  and  white  men  L\-idently  shared  in  his 
opinion  for  its  early  history  is  a  series  of  efforts  by  private  in- 
dividuals to  get  ]3ossession  on  every  possible  pretext.  To 
Teft'erson  Davis  belongs  principal  credit  for  the  preservation 
of  the  island  to  the  L'nited  States  government  for  military  pur- 
poses. During  the  Black  Hawk  War  he  had  abundant  opixjr- 
tunity  to  become  familiar  with  it  and  its  environment.  He 
thought,  and  many  prominent  men  then  and  since  agreed  with 
him,  that  the  island  was  particularly  adapted  to  the  uses  of  the 
government.  They  aijpreciated  its  advantageous  location,  its 
water  power  possibilities,  and  the  proximity  of  fuel  and  timber. 
As  an  army  officer,  as  a  L'nited  States  Senator,  and  as  Secre- 
tary of  War  he  championed  its  prcsen'ation  ;  and  it  seems  the 


17 


EXTENSIVE  PRAIRIE 


EXTENSIVE  PRAIRIE 
TOPOGRAPHICAL  VIEW  OF  ROCK  ISLAND  IN  THE  MISSISSIPPI     1319-    5CALE  4  INCHES  TO  A  MILE. 


EXTRACT  FROM  THE  REPORT  OF  major  m  marston.of  ihe  sii^  infty 

TO  MAJOR  GENL  MACOMB—  COMMANDING  Sir   MILITARY   DEPARTMENT 
DATED.  FORT  ARMSTRONG.   ROCK  ISLAND, 
5EPT    lOIi?  1619 

■THIS  FORT   15  ABOUT  270  FEET  SQUARE   WITH  THREE  BLOCK  H0USE5,  MOUNTING 
THREE  6  POUNDERS.    THE    BARRACKS  ARE  WELL  CONSTRUCTED  OF  HEWN  TIMBER-.AND 
ARE  SUFFICIENTLY   EUTENSlVE   TO  QUARTER  THREE   COMPANIES,  THE   MAGAZINE   IS 
OF  5T0NE  AND  WELL  BUILT     THE  COMMANDING  OFFICERS    QUARTERS  CONSIST  OF  A 
CENTER  TWO   STORY  BUILDING    ZB  FEET   IN  LENGTH.  WITH  WINGS  OF  ONE  5T0RY 
15  FEET  IN  LENGTH.  AND  PIAZZAS  BUILT  IN  FRONT  AND    REAR. THE  FORT  IS  BUILT 
ON  THE   LOWER   POINT  OF  ROCK  ISLAND.  AND  UPON  A    PERPENDICULAR  BANK  OF 
LIMESTONE    OF  ABOUT  25  FT    IN  HEIGHT.  IT  COMPLETELY   COMMANDS  BOTH 
CHANNELS  OF  THE  RIVER     THE  GARRISON    IS  A  GREAT  CHECK  UPON  THE  INDIANS 
IN  THIS  COUNTRY    AND   FROM    ITS  CENTRAL  SITUATION,    IT  APPEARS  TO    ME  TO   BE 
A  STATION  OF  CONSIDERABLE    IMPORTANCE     AN  EXPRESS  COULD  REACH   THIS  IN 
TEN  DAYS  FROM    COUNCIL    BLUFFS.  ON  THE  MISSOURI.  AND   IN  THE  SAME  TIME 
FROM  THE  MOUTH  OF  THE  RiVER  5T  PETERS,  AND  FROM  FORT  DEARBORN    AND  IN 
FIFTEEN  DAYS  FROM    FORT  HOWARD.  AND    FIVE  FROM  STLOUIS    THE    SOIL  OF  THIS 
ISLAND   APPEARS  TO  BE  GOOD.  AND  IT  CONTAINS  A  GOOD  SUPPLY  OFWOOO   FOR  FUEL 
AND   OTHER    PURPOSES.  THE  RE   IS  ALSO   AN  EXCELLENT  SPRING  OF  WATER  ABOUT 
ONE  HUNDRED  YARDS  FROM  THE  GARRISON, THERE  IS  ABOUT   FORTY  ACRES   OF  LAND 
IN  THE  VICINITY  OF  THE  GARRISON    CLEARED  AND  FIT  FOR  CULTIVATION.' 


REFERENCES 

MANOiNG  officer's  Quarters 
2  hosprtal  &  surgeon  s  quaj^ters 
319-company  Quarters 
5&7- store  mouses 

fc- MAGAZINE 
)0-OFFICERS  QUARTERS 
It,ie.l3ftl4-5T0NE  WOR^ 
4  48-5ALLY  PORTS 


TRACED   FROM   A  PHOTOSTAT 
COPY  OF  ORIGINAL  WHICH  WAS 
MADE  IN  (819  AND  15  NOW  ON 
FILE  IN  OFFICE  OF  CHIEF  OF 
ENGINEERS, U  S  A. 


SCALE  64  FT  TO  AN  INCH 


irony  of  fate  that  it  sliould  have  hecn  used  during  the  Civil 
War  as  the  site  of  a  prison  for  the  confinement  of  his  soldiers. 
!-'ort  Armstrong  in  shai>e  was  a  rectangular  parallelogram 
with  its  four  corners  presented  to  the  four  points  of  the  com- 
pass. It  measured  270  feet  on  each  of  its  sides.  It  was  pro- 
tected on  the  north,  east,  and  south  angles  by  block  houses,  the 
east  one  being  the  largest.  The  south  one  has  now  been  re- 
stored on  its  original  location  as  the  principal  feature  of  this 
celebration  of  its  one  hundreth  anniversary.  The  block  houses 
were  constructed  of  hewn  timbers  cut  near  the  site  of  the  fort. 
They  were  two  stories  in  height,  the  upper  story  being  set  so 
that  its  sides  came  over  the  angle  of  the  story  below,  thus  pre- 
senting fronts  in  eight  directions.  Each  story  was  provided 
with  port  holes  for  cannon  and  muskets,  and  their  hipped 
roofs  were  surmounted  bv  observatories  or  lookouts.  The  lines 
between  the  north,  east,  and  south  block  houses  were  occupied 
bv  barracks  and  other  buildings  in  shed  form  with  the  high 
point  to  the  outside,  so  that  the  sloping  roof  could  be  protected 
from  within  the  enclosure.  The  spaces  between  these  build- 
ings and  the  block  houses  were  closed  by  stone  walls  about  four 
feet  high  which  were  surmounted  by  hewn  timbers  placed  one 
ui)on  the  other  to  the  height  of  the  barracks  buildings.  The 
other  two  sides  of  the  enclosure  were  the  precipitous  shores  of 
the  island.  The  west  angle  of  the  enclosure  was  occupied  by 
the  headquarters  building,  lliis  was  about  20x30  feet  in  size, 
and  two  stories  high,  flanked  on  each  end  by  immense  outside 
stone  chinmeys  and  outside  of  these  were  small  one-story 
wings.  On  the  east  and  west  fronts  were  large  porches.  The 
one  on  the  west,  two  stories  high,  afforded  a  beautiful  view, 
with  tile  liroad  Mississippi  in  the  foreground,     .\side  from  the 


building  already  described  there  were  others  for  officers'  quart- 
ers and  hospital  purposes,  also  a  stone  powder  magazine  about 
gxi2  feet  insiile.  It  was  sunken  partly  into  the  ground  so  that 
the  natural  rock\  ledge  formed  its  floor.  A  stone  arched  roof 
covered  it.  In  the  center  of  the  enclosure  was  a  tall  flag-staff. 
Tliere  were  two  sally  ports  opening  on  to  the  island  to  the 
northeast  and  southeast.  When  the  soliders  arrived,  the 
island  was  covered  bv  a  heavy  growth  of  timber,  but  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  fort  it  was  all  cleared  away  for  the  double  pur- 
pose of  procuring  material  for  the  buildings  and  removing 
shelter  that  might  he  used  by  the  Indians  in  case  of  an  attack. 

With  the  troops  that  came  to  build  the  fort  was  Col.  George 
Davenport  in  the  capacity  of  sustenance  contractor's  agent.  He 
built  a  house  on  the  island  which  still  stands.  He  became  an 
Indian  trader  and  had  his  first  trading  post  on  the  island.  In 
1824  Russell  Farnham  arrived  on  the  scene  and  entered  into 
partnership  with  Col.  Davenport.  In  1826  they  built  a  build- 
ing on  the  main  shore,  at  the  present  junction  of  29th  Street 
and  the  C.  K.  I.  &  P.  R.  R.  tracks  as  a  trading  post.  This  was 
the  first  Iniilding  on  the  main  land  and  later  was  known  as  the 
"House  of  John  Barrel."  In  it  was  the  first  postoffice,  hotel, 
and  stage  station.  Here  were  held  the  first  court,  first  election, 
and  the  first  meeting  of  the  county  board.  The  settlement  that 
sprung  up  around  it  came  to  be  known  as  Farnhamsburg,  and 
was  the  "metropolis"  of  the  locality  until  the  town  of  Stephenson 
came  into  existence  in  1835.  This  gave  place  to  the  city  of 
Rock  Island  in  1841.  Col.  Davenport  continued  to  live  on  the 
island  of  Kock  Island  until  his  mm-der  on  July  4,  1845.  Col. 
Davenport's  two  sons,  George  L.  and  Bailey,  also  passed  their 
lives  here  and  reached  prominence  as  citizens  and  land  owners 
on  both  sides  of  the  Mississippi. 
■20  — 


AiitoiiK'  Le  L'lairc  \v:is  aiKjthcr  of  the  party  that  landed  in 
i8t6,  and  stayed  after  the  fort  was  ahandoned  to  become  a 
hitjlily  respected  and  pictnresque  member  of  the  community  at 
Davenport.  He  was  of  Frencli  and  Indian  blood  (Potta- 
wattamie). He  was  educated  in  languages  at  the  expense  of 
the  government  to  serve  as  official  Indian  interpreter,  in  which 
capacity  he  was  employed  at  bort  Armstrong.  His  home  was 
in  Davenport,  which  he  laid  out  and  named  for  his  friend  the 
Indian  trader.  A  part  of  the  city  of  Davenport  is  laid  out  on 
a  section  of  land  which  was  reserved  by  the  Indians  from  the 
tract  conveyed  by  the  treaty  of  1832.  This  section  of  land  the 
Indians  presented  to  Mrs.  ^Vntonie  Le  Claire,  the  granddaughter 
of  a  .Sac  chief,  and  the  wife  of  their  trusted  friend. 

In  Col.  Davenport's  employ  was  a  Frenchman  named 
Antoine  Goucpie,  who  was  the  first  permanent  settler  in  this 
vicinity.  He  was  a  hunter  and  trapper  who  was  here  when  die 
troops  arrived,  having  come  down  the  river  from  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Prairie  du  Chien.  In  dress,  habits,  and  appearance  he 
was  an  Indian,  but  he  w;is  of  [lure  French  blood.  His  wife 
was  a  full  blooded  Fox  Indian,  fat  and  good  natured,  and  very 
popular  with  the  whites.  Couque  and  his  family  lived  on  the 
island  on  land  afterwards  included  within  the  military  prison 
enclosure  during  1863-65. 

Fort  Armstrong,  although  no  l:)attle  ever  was  fought  there, 
occupied  a  prominent  place  during  the  Indian  troubles  of  1831 
and  1832,  and  was  the  refuge  of  the  early  settlers  from  their 
first  arrival  in  1828  until  the  close  of  the  lilack  Hawk  War.  It 
would  retpiire  far  more  space  than  is  here  available  to  write  a 
history  of  this  war.  The  causes  of  the  Pilack  Hawk  War  were 
the   refusal    of    lilack    Mawk    and    his    band    to   recognize    the 


vali(lit\'  of  the  treaty  of  1804.  in  which  refusal  tliey  were  to 
some  extent  justified,  and  the  love  for  their  homes  which  they 
and  their  ancestors  had  occupied  for  more  than  a  century  and 
their  veneration  for  the  burial  place  of  their  dead.  To  this 
was  adiltd  resentment  of  the  impositions  by  the  early  white 
settlers,  who  in  violation  of  justice  and  treaty  obligations 
crowded  in  upon  their  fields,  destroyed  their  crops,  desecrated 
the  graves  of  their  dead,  and  took  possession  of  their  bark 
houses,  while  thousands  of  unoccupied  acres  of  other  land  lay 
open  for  settlement.  There  were  five  white  settlers  within  the 
Indian  town  of  Saukenuk.  when  there  were  but  two  where  the 
city  of  Rock  Island  now  stands,  but  one  in  iMoline,  and  none  in 
Davenport :  all  of  these  settlers  being  on  land  previously  oc- 
cupied bv  the  Indians,  and  at  a  time  when  miles  of  unoccupied 
territory  surrounded  the  Indian  village  in  every  direction. 

When  in  1831  the  Indians  resented  the  encroachments  of  the 
whites  on  their  village,  and  P.lack  Hawk  resented  the  demoral- 
ization of  his  young  men  by  the  sale  of  whiskey  to  them  by  the 
whites,  some  friction  arose.  The  white  settlers  complained  to 
the  (Governor  of  Illinois  and  the  I'nited  States  authorities,  and 
the  Indians  were  ordered  to  move  across  the  i\Iississippi,  which 
thev  refused  to  do.  Thereupon  the  Governor  of  Illinois  en- 
listed 1,600  militia  who  joined  with  the  I'nited  States  regulars 
under  Gen.  Gaines,  from  St.  Louis,  to  drive  the  Indians  from 
their  ancient  home.  The  Indians  evaded  the  issue  of  battle  by 
([uietlv  slipping  across  the  river  in  the  night.  Thinking  the 
trouble  was  over  the  militia  were  disbanded  and  the  regulars 
returned  to  Jefferson  liarracks,  but  before  doing  so  burned  the 
Indian  town. 

In  1832  I'llack  Hawk  anil  the  I'.ritish  band,  grieving  over  the 
21  — 


Outline  of  the  Foundation  of  tlie  I'.lock  House  on  the  East  Angle  ot  1-nu 

The  depression  in  the  foreground  is  plainly  to  be  seen 


Armstrong,  1916 


loss  of  tliL-ir  ol<l  hoiiK-,  resenting;  the  trcatnuiU  tlicy  h;ul  re- 
ceived, and  still  seeking  to  evade  the  terms  of  the  treaty  of 
1804,  which  they  still  insisted  was  invalid,  recrossed  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  at  Yellow  JJanks  and  came  hy  the  way  of  the 
Indian  trail  to  the  mouth  of  Rock  River.  Xews  of  this  move- 
ment of  the  Indians  having  reache  I  the  whites  the  ( lovernor  of 
Illinois  again  called  out  the  militia,  and  in  conjunction  with 
federal  troops,  followed  them  up  the  valley  of  Rock  River. 
After  a  series  of  battles  and  skirmishes,  interspersed  with  fre- 
quent efforts  to  surrender,  to  which  the  wliites  gave  no  heed, 
the  Indians  were  driven  to  southern  W  isconsin  where  they 
attempted  to  escape  their  pursuers  hv  crossing  the  Mississippi. 
Then  occurred  the  battle  of  Bad  Axe.  at  which  most  of  those 
who  had  survived  to  that  time  were  massacred  without  regard 
to  age  or  sex,  and  Black  Hawk,  his  son,  and  some  of  the  other 
chiefs  were  captured.  Black  Hawk,  in  custody  of  Jefferson 
Davis,  was  brought  down  to  the  island  of  Rock  Island,  at  that 
time  the  headquarters  of  Gen.  W'infield  Scott.  Owing  to  a 
cholera  epidemic  prevailing  at  that  time  he  was  not  taken  on 
shore,  but  was  sent  on  to  Jeft'erson  Barracks  as  a  prisoner,  in 
the  custody  of  Jeii'erson  Davis,  and  from  there  to  P'ortress 
Monroe,  where  Davis  was  afterwards  himself  confined,  and 
after  a  trip  through  the  principal  cities  of  the  east  to  show  him 
the  strength  of  the  American  nation  and  to  convince  him  of  the 
futilitv  of  opposing  them,  and  incidentally  for  the  amusement 


of  the  white  people,  he  was  returned  to  Ruck  Island,  shorn  of 
his  power  as  a  chief,  and  placed  in  the  custody  of  Keokuk,  who 
became  responsible  for  his  subsequent  peaceful  conduct.  Chief 
Keokuk  had  for  a  long  time  been  disjxised  to  yield  to  the  de- 
mands of  the  Americans  for  the  land  which  had  belonged  to 
the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians  in  Illinois.  The  whites  had  great 
confidence  in  him.  He  and  Black  Hawk  had  been  leaders  of 
op[)Osing  Indian  factions  and  it  was  a  great  humiliation  to 
Black  Hawk  to  have  his  defeat  end  in  being  subordinated  to 
his  opponent. 

The  trouble  with  England  ended  with  the  Treaty  of  Ghent, 
and  the  trouble  with  the  Indians  ended  with  the  termination  of 
the  I'.lack  Hawk  War,  and  Fort  Armstrong  became  unneces- 
sary. In  1836  the  fort  was  evacuated  and  abandoned,  and 
thereafter  allowed  to  fall  into  decay,  and  1855  a  part  of  it  was 
burned.  The  last  vestige  was  removed  when  the  railroad  bridge 
was  remo\'ed  to  its  present  location.  Its  right  of  way,  as  well 
as  Fort  Armstrong  Avenue  and  the  street  railway  tracks,  pass 
directly  through  the  site  of  old  Fort  Armstrong.  The  island 
of  Rock  Island,  however,  did  not  lose  importance  as  years 
passed,  for  during  the  Civil  War  it  was  occupied  by  a  military 
prison  with  a  capacity  of  12.000  prisoners,  and  at  the  close  of 
this  war  was  selected  as  the  site  of  the  chief  arsenal  of  the 
United  .States.  There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  future 
years  will  see  its  importance  increase  many  fold. 


""^-^^ 

5».       's-^C*— ■ 


-3 
3 


3  '-■ 

O  ^ 

°  I 

o  ' 


•r. 


Black  Hawk's  Vision 

Spirit  of  Great  Sac  Chief  Revisits  Glimpses  of  tlie  Moon  and 
Dreams  of  the  Fighters  of  Yesterday 

By  Robert  Rc.ulalc 


Down  the  long,  dim  valleys  that  stretch  away, 
I  dream  of  the  fighters  of  yesterday. 

And  I  see  the  light  of  tlie  watch-fire's  glow. 
Where  the  rivers  meet  in  tlieir  onward  llow  ; 

1  hear  the  wolf  on  the  lonely  hill. 

And  [he  low,  sweet  song  of  the  whip-poo'-will, 

And  out  of  the  dark  where  the  wigwams  lie. 
An  arrow  is  flaming  across  the  sky ! 

The  gray  owl  calls  with  a  lond  tu-whoo, 
I-'roni  the  hattered  prow  of  a  war-canoe, 

1  see  the  gleam  at  the  water's  hrink. 

Where  the  game  came  down  in  the  night  to  drink. 

And  far  along  hy  the  wooded  shore, 

1  watch  for  the  foe  where  he  lurked  of  yore, 

As  the  stars  fade  hea\'enward  one  hy  one. 
And  the  hills  ujilift  to  the  rising  sun! 

Down  the  long,  dim  valleys  a  spirit  croons 
The  deathless  song  of  a  thousand  moons, 


I  see  the  fort  on  tlie  rocky  ledge, 

\\'here  the  cave  dips  under  the  island's  etlge. 

And  the  l)Ugle  sounding  the  reveille 
Proclaims  the  dawn  of  the  white  man's  day! 

I  see  the  path  that  his  skill  has  hlazed, 

And  the  works  the  might  of  his  arm  has  raised. 

His  cliildrcn  rule  where  my  people  trod. 

And  their  harvests  spring  from  the  blood-stained  so  1, 

As  the  trail  winds  on  over  ])laiu  and  steep. 

Through  the  hallowed  ground  where  the  fighters  sleej)! 

What  matters  it  now  where  their  bones  may  rest — 
It  was  knife  to  knife,  it  was  breast  to  breast, 

I  hear  the  twang  of  the  bended  bow, 
And  the  nniffled  shot  in  the  rocks  below; 

Though  the  scalp-lock  falls  from  the  warrior's  hand. 
He  died  for  his  scpiaw  and  his  native  land, 

For  men  were  the  hunters  and  men  the  prev, 
And  l)rave  were  the  fiahters  of  vestcrdav! 


25  — 


Rebuilt  Block  House,  lyiO,  on  the  Site  of  the  South  .\ugle  of 


:-"ort  Armstrong 


PROGRAM 


OF  THE 


Fort  Armstrong  Centennial  Celebration 

June  18th -24th,  1916 


n    n    n 


Sunday 

MORNING 
AFTERNOON 


EVENING 


HOME  DAY 


June  18th 


Services  in  :ill  tlic  churches  of  the  three  cities  with  a|)])ro]iriate  seniKiiis.  |iarticiilarly  im  Home- 
coming, Peace,  Preparedness,  and  L'hin-ch  I'rogreis  (hiring  the  last  liun(hed  years. 

Sacred  I'land  Concerts  in — 

l^'ejervary  I'ark.  Davenport. 

Long  \'ie\v  Park.  Rocl<  Island. 

l^rospect  Park,  Moline. 
Services  in  many  of  the  churches  of  the  three  cities,  the  jjastors  of  several  churches  exchang- 
ing pulpits  and  delivering  the  morning's  sermon. 


—  27  — 


House  of  Col.  George  Davcnijort — Flnilt,  1831  ;  restored,   1906 

"This  is  probably  the  most  historic  house  in  Illinois  or  Iowa,  and  has  given  shelter  and  hospitality  to  more  great  men 
than  any  other  private  residence  of  the  United  Stages."— A  n/jsf ton }• 


Monday 


SUNRISE 
MORNING 


FORT  ARMSTRONG  DAY 


June  19th 


Salute  of  one  hundred  guns  on  llie  river  at  tlie  lower  end  of  Rock  Island. 

(_'elebration  of  the  Founding  of  l'"ort  Armstrong-,    iSiO,  and   Dedication  of  the  rebuilt    Ijlock 
House,  on  the  lower  end  of  the  island  and  at  the  grandstand  on  Main  Aveiuie. 


HISTORICAL     NOTE 

l!rig.-Gen.  Thomas  A.  Smith  in  command  of  a  regiment  of  Rifles  and  the  lughth  I'.  S.  In- 
fantry— the  latter  under  the  immediate  command  of  Col.  William  Lawrence — landed  on  the  island 
of  Rock  Island  May  lo,  1816,  800  strong,  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a  fortification  to  protect 
the  line  of  communication,  by  way  of  the  river,  to  the  upper  reaches  of  the  Mississippi.  General 
Smith  did  not  remain  long,  but  with  his  Rifles  proceeded  up  the  river  to  P^ort  Snelling,  near  St. 
Anthony's  Falls,  leaving  Colonel  Lawrence  and  the  Eighth  Infantry  to  erect  the  fort.  It  was 
named  Fort  Armstrong,  in  honor  of  the  then  secretary  of  war.  The  fort  was  in  the  form  of  a 
square  with  its  four  corners  presented  to  the  four  jjoints  of  the  comi)ass.  It  measured  270  feet  on 
each  of  its  sides.  It  was  protected  on  the  north,  east,  and  south  angles  Ijy  block  houses,  the  east 
one  being  the  largest.  The  fort,  though  no  battle  was  ever  fouglit  there,  was  the  center  of  opera- 
tions during  the  Indian  wars  of  183 1  and  1832.  P'rom  the  time  of  the  coming  of  the  white  settlers 
in  1828,  until  the  treat}-  of  September  21,  1832,  which  ended  the  Indian  troubles,  it  was  a  place  of 
refuge  for  the  pioneers.  Thereafter,  there  being  no  further  need  for  the  fort,  it  was  vacated  in 
1836  and  permitted  to  fall  into  decay. 

A  replica  of  the  block  house  which  formerly  stood  on  the  south  angle  of  the  Fort  Armstrong 
enclosure  has  been  erected  upon  its  original  site.  The  opening  of  the  celebration  is  marked  1)\-  the 
unveiling  of  this  block  house  upon  a  signal  given  by  President  Woodrow  Wilson,  transmitted  by 
wireless  telephone  from  Washington,  D.  C.  This  ceremony  is  preceded  by  a  dramatization  of  the 
landing  of  the  troojis  under  Brigadier-General  Smith  and  Colonel  Lawrence.  Thev  are  seen  com- 
ing up  the  river  in  keel  boats,  as  they  did  one  hundred  years  ago.  L'pon  their  landing  the  block 
house  is  unveiled,  an  1812  flag  is  raised,  and  the  salute  fired.  This  is  followed  bv  the  sounding  of 
whistles  and  the  ringing  of  bells  in  the  tri-cities  announcing  the  formal  opening  of  the  Fort  Arm- 
strong Centennial  Celebration. 


■29  — 


First  Bridge  over  the  ^lississippi  River,  Built  in  1856 


Monday 


June  19th 


NOON 


AFTERNOON' 


EX'ENING 


Because  of  lack  of  room  on  the  lower  point  of  the  Island  the  remainder  of  the  dedicatory  pro- 
gram  takes  place  at  the  grandstand,  located  on  ^lain  Avenue  east  of  the  entrance  gates  to  the 
Rock  Island  .\rsenal.  Seats  are  reserved  for  the  pioneers  of  Scott  County,  Iowa,  and  Rock  Island 
County,  Illinois.  The  program  includes  addresses  by  Ex-Governor  Sam  R.  \'an  Sant,  of  Minne- 
sota, himself  a  pioneer  of  this  locality;  Colonel  George  W.  iSurr,  commandant  of  the  Rock  Island 
Arsenal ;  and  by  representatives  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution. 

Grand  Reunion  of  Old  Settlers  of  Scott  County,  Iowa,  and  Rock  Island  County,  Illinois ; 
Historical  Associations  and  Home-Comers,  with  an  old-fashioned  basket  picnic.  i\Iusic,  speaking, 
and  a  general  good  time. 

Dedication  and  marking  of  the  old  Arsenal  lUiilding.  Tier  of  the  I'irst  1 '.ridge  across  the  .Mis- 
sissippi River,  and  the  Davenport  House. 

Burning  of  Saukenuk. 

HISTORIC.\L     NOTE 

The  Indian  village  of  Saukenuk  was  located  on  Rock  River,  about  three  miles  above  its  con- 
fluence with  the  Mississippi,  at  the  western  base  of  151ack  tiawk's  Watch  Tower.  It  is  supposed  to 
have  been  established  in  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  was  the  largest  Indian  vil- 
lage in  the  west,  and  one  of  the  largest  within  the  present  limits  of  the  United  States.  Here  the 
famous  War  Cliief,  Black  Hawk,  was  born,  and  over  its  possession  the  Black  Hawk  Wars  of  1831 
and  1832  were  fought.  During  the  Revolutionary  War  Colonel  George  Rogers  Clark,  acting  under 
a  commission  from  the  Colony  of  \"irginia,  instituted  a  campaign  for  the  recovery  of  the  Northwest 
Territorv  from  the  British,  the  territory  being  then  claimed  by  that  commonwealth.  \\'hile  cam- 
paigning in  the  southern  portion  of  the  Illinois  country  he  learned  of  the  pro-British  attitude  of 
Sac  and  Fox  Indians  and  detached  a  command  under  Colonel  John  Montgomery,  with  the  village 
of  these  Indians  on  Rock  River  as  its  objective  point,  in  1780.  The  Indians  were  driven  from  their 
village  anil  the  village  itself  burned. 

The  presentation  of  this  takes  place  in  front  of  the  grandstand.  The  program  opens  with  a 
Ijand  concert.  Following  this  appears  a  portion  of  the  tribe  of  Meskwaki  (  I'ox)  Indians,  descend- 
ants of  those  who  inhabited  this  locality,  who  present  characteristic  Indian  dances  and  sports. 
This  is  followed  by  the  Camp-fire  Girls  of  the  tri-cities    in    the    presentation    of    ceremonials   and 

—  31  — 


Monday  June  19th 

songs.  As  darkness  cluscs  ovit  tin.'  Island  the  village  of  Sankeniik  is  presented  with  its  Indian  ae- 
tivities.  While  their  evening  sports  an<l  ceremonials  are  at  their  height  Colonel  Montgomery's 
command  arrives  and  the  hattle  opens.  There  is  a  sharp  conflict  between  the  Indians  and  the 
whites,  which  resnlts  in  the  defeat  of  the  Indians.  The  soldiers  take  possession  of  the  village  ami 
hurn  it.  As  the  embers  are  dying  away,  from  its  rnins  the  figure  of  a  prophet  arises,  wlio  foretells 
the  downfall  of  tin-  Indian  befure  the  encrdacliment  (if  the  whites  and  the  idtimate  establishment  of 
a  new  civilization. 

Tuesday  PIONEER    DAY  j„ne  20th 

MORNING  \'isils  to  historical  sites  on  b(»th  silks  111  the   river   marked    li\    the    Historical    .Section   (jf    the 

Davenport  Academv  of  .Sciences  and  the  Rock  Island  ('iinnl\  Historical  Society.  A  guide  is 
at  eacli  site  to  give  needed  information. 

HisriiRif  Si'irrs  Marked  on  'ini':  InwA  Side 

.Site  of  the  Treaty  of  the  lilack  Hawk  Purchase,  1832.  Aliout  where  I'arnam  Street  would  in- 
tersect b'ifth  Street.    Marked  at  l-'ifth  and  Iowa  Streets,  about  450  feet  west  of  the  treaty  site. 

Treat)-  Site  House.  The  log  house  limit  b\-  .\ntoine  Lc  Claire  in  1833  at  the  site  of  the  Treaty 
of  1832.  Now  stands,  boarded  over  and  remiideled.  in  the  rear  of  420  West  Mflh  Street,  near 
Scott  Street. 

Claim  House,  liuilt  l)y  ( ieorge  L.  1  )a\enpurt  in  1833.  on  the  first  claim  taken  up  in  the  lilack 
1  lawk  Purchase.    The  first  frame  house  in  Iowa.     Now  at  557  College  Avenue. 

Site  of  the  Treaty  f)f  183(1.  conveying  Keokuk  resers'c.     In  Prospect  Park. 

Embankment  leading  to  the  lirst  bridge  across  the  .Mississippi  River.  C)n  East  River  Street, 
near  Eederal  Street. 

Camp  McClellan.  Recruiting  caniji  of  the  (_'i\il  War.  .Sioux  i)rison.  At  East  River  Street 
anil  Camp  McClellan  Pmilevard. 

—  33  — 


■f. 


^      * 


Tuesday  June  20th 

Location  where  grouml  was  broken  for  the  construction  of  tlie  first  raih'oad  liuiU  beyond  the 
AJississippi  River,  at  I'ifth  and  Rock  Island  Streets. 

I'irst  collet;e  ijuildin!^- erected  in  Iowa.  Xo.  517  West  Seventli  Street.  Institution  then  called 
Iowa  Colle.g'e  :  now  (iriiuull  I'olleine.  at  GriniK-11,  Iowa. 

Site  where  John  llrown  purchased  supplies  fcir  his  men  at  Sprin;;dale.  (  in  allc\  1)i'low  Second 
Street  on  the  west  side  of  Hradv  Street. 

.Site  of  house  of  Dr.  John  I'.merson,  owner  of  1  )red  Scott,  the  slave:  22^  luist  Second  Street. 

Mouse  where  Barclav  Coppoc,  John  ISrown  refugee,  was  secreted  followini.;  the  Harper's  berry 
tiyht.     Now  VVirtel  &  Drebing's  trunk  store.  220  llrady  .Street. 

Excellent  views  of  Davenport  can  lie  secured  from  I'rospect  I'ark-,  from  Riverview  Terrace, 
from  Lookout  I'ark,  from  I'"airmount  Cemetery,  and  from  the  roof  of  the  I'utnam  ISuilding,  .Main 
and  Second  .Strt'cts. 

llisToKic  Si'iiis  M  \kK|.|)  (IN'  -riii.:  Ifj^inois  Smi'; 

j  Site  of  first  pcnwr  dam  in  ,Mississi|)pi  l\i\er.    (  iuard  House  of  15th  Street  l'>rid,L;e,  Aloline.- 

tabin  site  of  Joel  Wells,  Sr.,  the  lirst  settler  where  Moline  is  now  located.  .\t  b'irst  .\veiuie 
<md  2 1  St  Street,  .Moline. 

Site  of  .Moline's  first  mills  and  foimdry,  and  bihn  Dcere's  first  plow  shop.  Just  west  of  15th 
Street   r.ridj.>,e,  aloii;;"  the  river  bank,  .Moline. 

.Site  of  home  of Stei)luns,  and  his  twent\    net'ro  sla\'es;  the  onI\-  sl;i\'es  held  in    Rock  Is- 

land  ("ounty.     At  \\'alker  .Station  in   .\ Inline. 

.Monument  on  t/ampbell's  Island,  e(immemor,itin.L;  the  b.ittle  there  in  July,  l<Si4. 

Location  of  the  house  of  John  I'.arrel,  built  b\  Russell  I'arnham  and  L'ol.  ( ieorgx"  Davenport  in 
1826,  the  first  house  on  the  Illinois  side,  the  first  stage  station,  the  first  hotel,  the  first  postoffice,  the 
first  coiu't  room,  the  first  ]il;ice  of  election,  the  first  meeting  ])lace  of  the  countv  board,  the  center  of 
b'arnhanisburg.  the  tirst  \illage  on  the  Illinois  side  of  the  ri\er.  Aliout  300  feet  north  of  intersec- 
tion of   I'il'tb   .\\'einie  and   2i)tli   Street,   Rock'    Island. 

—  35  — 


■f.     * 


X 


Z       =^  c 


c   o 


■-  i 

—    o 


Tuesday  June  20th 

Rock  Island  House.  I'l'opcrtx  used  eoiitinuously  as  a  lit.itel  site  since  the  earh'  da\s  of  Steph- 
enson.   Corner  of  Second  Avenue  and  West  17th  Street,  Rock  Island. 

Old  jail  property  and  sheriff's  resitlence,  vvdicrc  the  "Banditti  of  the  Prairie."  who  ninnlereil 
Col.  Davenport,  were  confined.  (  )n  15th  .Street,  just  hack  of  the  IModern  Woodmen  of  America 
liuilding.  Rock  Island. 

.\mos  F".  Cutter  harn,  150  feet  from  the  site  of  the  ^'allows  where  the  nuu-derers  of  I'ol.  I)aven- 
port  were  hanged,  and  into  which  was  built  the  lumber  of  which,  the  tiallows  were  built.  I  )n  i^tli 
Street  between  Third  and  Fourth  Avenue.  Rock  Island. 

Sac  corn  fields  showing-  "s(|naw-hills"  undisturbed  since  the  Indians'  last  culti\ation  in  1S31. 
Xow  covered  with  forest  trees.  Co  east  frt)m  marker  on  T2th  Street  south  of  (  hippianuock  Cem- 
etery, Rock  Island. 

Remains  of  mound  on  which  stood  the  Sac  Council  Lculge.  Treaty  of  1804  was  reported  here: 
Keokuk  was  elected  war-chief  here  in  1S12;  Lieut.  Zebulon  I'ike  brought  here  the  first  Cnited 
States  flag  to  he  raised  on  the  main  land  of  the  up]jer  Mississi])pi  River.  Tliis  was  the  ot^cial 
headquarters  of  the  Sac  village  which  was  burned  by  Col.  John  Montgomery  in  1780 — a  part  of  the 
Revolutionary  War,  and  wliicb  was  again  destroyed  1)_\-  fire  l)y  Illinois  militia  under  llrig.-Cen. 
Joseph  Duncan  in  the  1831  campaign  of  the  Black  Hawk  War;  100  yards  west  of  the  bridge  over 
Rock  River  at  the  Davis  Power  Plant. 

Ruins  of  the  Sears'  mill.  Im-oui  this  spot  Gen.  E.  P.  (iaines  shelled  \"andruH"'s  Islaml  in  1831 
from  the  deck  of  the  steaiuboat  'T^nterprise,"  to  drive  out  lllack  Hawk'  ;mil  his  hostile  Imlians.  .\t 
the  bridge  over  Rock  River  at  the  Davis  Power  Plant. 

A  andrufi"s  Island.  Cjen.  Joseph  Duncan  and  i.Ckio  mounted  Illinois  militia,  accompanied  by 
Gov.  John  Reynolds  and  statT,  swept  the  Islaml  in  i8,:;i  in  search,  of  hostile  Indians.  (  )n  the  site  of 
the  cabin  of  Joshua  \'andruff  ])art  of  the  cellar  wall  still  riuiains.  It  was  here  that  lilack  Hawk, 
indignant  o\er  the  srde  to  his  Indians  of  "fire-water,"  \isited  .\lr.  X'andrult  and  destroyed  his  sup- 
]>1\  of  \vbiskc\'.    Past  of  .Main  road  across  Islaml. 

(jrax'e  of  I'.Iack  Hawk's  two  children,  and  site  of  the  caliiu  where  he  fasted  and  motnned  tlieir 
—  37  — 


Tuesday  June  20th 

I  (katli  for  two  years.  Al  Uk-  extreme  west  end  aiiil  hiyliest  ])oiiit  of  Watch  Tower  bluff.  l-'roin 
same  point  niav  be  seen  the  site  of  "Rock  Island  City,"  a  purely  western  "boom"  town  of  the  early 
days,  1S36. 

The  first  water  jiower  of  this  vicinity  (  \andruff's)  and  the  site  of  the  first  permanent  water 
'  power  dam  across  the  south  channel  of  Rock  River:  the  remnants  of  the  state  canal  of  1837;  the 
^\ll^w  Hanks  trail:  the  .Maklen  trail:  where  the  Rock  River  rant;;ers  and  re^nlars  slielled  \  an- 
dniff's  Island  in  1831  :  the  location  of  a  prehistoric  pottery  :  the  location  of  the  legend  of  the  JM-ench 
fiddler :  the  location  of  the  legend  of  the  Indian  lovers'  spring;  the  location  of  Lincoln's  camp.  All 
may  be  seen  from  the  ^^'atch  Tower  Inn. 
AFTF.RXOOX  (lymnastic  Exhiljitiun  by  the  Voun^-  Alen's  Clu-istian  Associations  of  Davenport.  Rock  Island, 

and  Moline. 

("■rand  Entry  and  Maze  Run.  I'arallel  liars. 

Massed  Dumb  Hell  Drill.  Tumbling. 

Relay  Races.  The  Cn-cy  Zouaves. 

Elejihant  Work.  Wall  Scaling  and  I-'inale. 

EX'EXIXri  Electric-iIly  Illuminated  .Xiglit  .S])cclacular  Pageant. 

PROGRESS 

\n  allegorical  presentation  of  historical  and  industrial  e\ents  1)_\-  an  electrically  illuminated 
pageant  on.  ten  cars.     These  ])ass  in  review  Ijefore  the  grandstand  on  Main  .\venue. 

C  \R  I.     Tin;  Elicht  01^  the  r.U'!ii  .Simi;it 

Ttr.STnlurAL     NOIR 

There  is  a  cave  under  the  island  of  Rock  Island  about  150  feet  in  depth,  the  moutii  of  which  is 
now  closed  bv  the  abutment  of  the  Government  Bridge  which  spans  the  main  channel  of  the  Alis- 
sissipjii  River,  .\ccording  to  Indian  tradition  this  cave  was  inhabited  by  a  white,  l>inl-like  spirit  of 
immense  size.  The  Indians  believed  this  to  be  their  good,  spirit  and  were  wont  to  worsliip  it. 
^\  liile  it  was  not  often  seen  b\-  them  its  oceasion;d  appearance  in  tlie  spring  time  pres.aged  good 

—  39  — 


y 


Tuesday  j^ne  20th 

I  crops  ami,  intlii.' aiiUimu  time,  successful  Inuits  ;uiil  an  alnuxlaucc  of  oanic.  ^Vith  the  establish- 
lueut  of  the  fort  immediately  over  the  cave  the  bin!  spirit  uever  returned,  and  it  was  their  belief 
that  the  presence  of  the  soldiers  and  their  warlike  activities  caused  it  to  tl\-  awax'.  With  its  de- 
l)arture  the  tables  of  their  fortune  were  turned.  The  harvests  grew  less  plentiful,  the  qanie  be- 
came scarce,  and  in  a  few  years  their  I;ind  and  tlieir  homes  were  claimed  by  the  whites. 

This  legend  is  depicted  with  a  great  white  bird  in  the  foregrciund  rising  in  lliglu.  r.eldw  and 
on  either  si<le  are  white  swans  which  appear  as  its  guardians.  In  the  rear  is  seen  the  mciutli  of 
the  cave  from  which  ;in  Indian  fairy  (pieen  is  emerging.  She  is  holding  her  right  hand  ;doft  and 
m  It  are  gathered  ribbons  which  float  back  from  the  beaks  of  the  birds.  They  are  seen  siKiring  out 
over  the  bosom  of  the  great  river  in  their  final  flight.  The  ear  is  brilliantly  illuminated  and  is  one 
of  the  most  charming  of  the  brilliant  procession. 

Car  2.     CoMiNc;  uf  tiie  Wiurii  Man 

HISTORICAL     NOTE 

The  first  white  men  to  visit  this  locality  were  Marquette  and  |oliel.  who.  in  Alav,  1(175, 
started  from  Mackuiac  to  seek  the  great  river,  rumors  of  which  tliev  had  heard  from  the  Indians! 
They  followed  the  north  shore  of  Lake  .Alichigan  into  Creen  l'.;i\-,  and  ascending  the  I'ox  River 
portaged  to  the  ^^■isconsin  River.  Down  this  they  floated  untilthey  reached  the' Mississippi  River 
June  17th.  They  proceeded  down  the  iMississippi,  passing  the  island  of  Rock  Island  a  few  days 
later.  They  continued  to  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas,  where  their  journev  southward  was  discon- 
tnuie.l.  and  they  retiu-ned  by  the  way  of  the  Illinois  River  and  Lake  Michigan.  Toilet's  interest  in 
the  undertaking  was  mercantile,  but  Marquette's  was  that  of  the  zealous  missionarv  who  sought  to 
locate  the  Indian  tribes  resident  in  the  great  valley  that  the  church  might  extend  the  scope  of  its 
work  and  claim  them  as  converts  to  its  faith. 

This  is  shown  as  a  water  scene.  In  the  background  is  the  lower  end  of  the  island  (if  Rock 
Island.  (  hi  the  water  is  a  canoe.  In  the  canoe  is  seen  Joliel  and  Marquette,  the  later  bearing  aloft 
a  blazing  cross.  \\  ith  lliem  are  to  be  seen  the  Imli.an  v(i\ageurs.  (  )n  the  bow  of  the  canoe  is  an 
old-fashioned  torch  in  which  bark-  is  burning. 

—  41  — 


1^ 


Tuesday  June  20th 

Car  3.     'J'lnc  L'(i,\ii.\i;  lU''  'nil':  Flag 
:i  is'i'iiKic Ar.  xciTi-; 

rile  lla.L^  is  the  eniljkni  of  political  posscssidii.  Wluri  \-cr  it  is  |ilantcil  it  si,iL;nirn.s  that  tlir  na- 
tion it  re]jrL'scnts  claims  sovereignty  and  that  such  natimi  lias  assumed  tn  pmlect  to  the  hesi  ni  its 
al)ilit\'  all  those  who  declare  their  allegiance. 

This  car  is  purely  allegorical.  There  is  represenli'd  a  frontier  hlock'  honse.  a  pictnres(|tH' 
li\  ing  lignre  representing  '■Colnnihia"  is  raising  a  llag. 

Car  _|.      ri(i\'r.i-;i.:.s 
11  Is  roKiiAi.  x(n-|-. 

I'ollowing  the  fnr-trader,  soldier,  and  frcmtiersnian  c.anie  the  t\|iical  pioneer  seeking  to  es- 
tablish a  new  home.  They  were  a  slnrdv,  self-reliant  Imdv  of  men  and  women  who  braved  the 
dangers  and  hardships  eif  a  frontier  life  to  pnpare  die  country  for  the  subsequent  civilization 
which  we  enjo\'. 

.\  dog  and  farm  animals  are  grouped  aliont.  .\  man  with  an  axe  stands  in  the  \ard.  In  the 
rear  and  forming' a  backgrouiiil  is  a  log  cabin,  illiimin.ited,  with  children  in  the  dooi'wax. 


-  -  43  — 


Tuesday  June  20th 

Cai;    5.       .VcKICULTURli 
Jl  ISIIIKICAI.   XOTE 

.\ftrr  liuildinj;  shelters  for  himself  ami  the  iiienibers  of  his  faniilx',  the  pioneer's  next  move  was 
to  elear  the  land  anfl  bring;  the  soil  under  cultivatioil.  From  this  betjinning',  as  time  passed,  mod- 
ern, scientific  farming"  followed.  AgTicultural  pursuits  underlay  every  other  form  of  industry  and 
form  the  foundation   for  all  subsequent  prosperit)-. 

(  )n  the  rear  of  this  car  is  a  tree  bearing-  one  hundred  red  lights  imbedded  in  its  foliag^c  typify- 
ing tlie  one  hundred  years  of  progress  that  we  are  now  celebrating.  In  the  foreground  is  a  pro- 
fusion of  agricultural  products  and  trailing  over  and  among  these  is  a  vine  covered  with  leaves  and 
llowers  ty]ncal  of  nature's  l.iounteous  response  to  the  agricultural  efi'orts  of  man.  Life  is  .idded  to 
the  scene  li\  the  presence  of  a  lady  seated  in  the  midst  of  this  profusion. 

C_'.\K  6.     I.UMUiij^ — FoRiisT  Riches 

IIISTORTC.M.   NflTE 

Sliorlh  after  llie  first  pioneer  settlers  arrived  saw  )'iills  were  establisheil  and  the  native  timber 
was  cut  to  meet  their  needs.  Then  the  great  Mississippi  was  called  upon  to  play  its  part  and  from 
the  ])ine  woods  of  the  north  lumber  and  logs  were  rafted.  ( jreat  mills  supplanted  tlie  earl\  ones 
and  the  industry  grew  until  it  became  the  most  important  industry  of  this  locality. 

The  car  rejiresents  the  householder  receiving  from  the  forest  nymph  the  gift  of  "h'orest 
Riches."  She  is  made  to  appear  coming  through  the  ,\rch  of  Success  from  a  dense  wood.  <  'n 
either  side  stand  the  protecting  Fairies  of  the  Deejj  Forest,  in  their  garb  of  green  bronze  and  bril- 
liant with  the  I  .ight  of  Promise. 


—  47  — 


Tuesday  June  20th 

Car  7.     Manufacturing 

lUSTdRICAL  NOTE 

Because  of  the  water  power  on  Rock  River  near  the  site  of  Sankcnuk  and  on  the  Mississippi 
River  at  Mohne,  manufacturing  was  early  developed.  In  1837  David  1).  Sears  connneneed  the 
construction  of  a  power  dam  between  the  island  of  Rock  Island  and  the  main  Illinois  shore.  This 
formed  the  nucleus  of  a  manufacturing  center  previous  to  the  advent  of  steam. 

This  car  shows  the  (ioddess  of  Industry,  seated  on  her  marble  throne  at  the  font  of  die  factory- 
studded  Hills  of  Progress,  presiding  over  the  workers  with  her  beacon  light  ever  burning. 

Car  8.     Commerce 
historical  note 

r  The   tri-cities    were   located   on    the    Mississipin  River,  the  commercial  thoroughfare  of  'the 

early  dav.     The  industrial  growth,  thus  fostered  and  encouraged,  was  the  magnet  that  brought  the 

\  first  railroad  that  reached  the  Mississippi  to  this  point.  Here,  also,  the  first  railroad  on  Iowa  ter- 
ritory was  l)uilt,  and  the  two  lines  were  connecte  1  by  the  first  bridge  to  span  the  Mississippi  River. 
The  growing  west  was  thus  made  tributary  to 'tin  •;  commercial  center  and  contributed  to  its  de- 
velopment. 

The  Queen  of  Commerce  is  depicted  on  a  wharf  as  a  foundation,  with  the  boxes  and  barrels  of 
her  calling  as  a  throne,  presiding  over  the  shipping,  while  on  the  high  ground  at  the  rear  the  first 
locomotive,  the  Antoine  Le  Claire,  is  seen  crossing  the  Island.  Rack  of  it  stands  the  clock  tower 
of  the  Arsenal  building  and  in  the  waters  below  is  a  passing  river  steamljoat. 


■49- 


v.. 


Tuesday  j^^^^  20th 

Car  9.     Peack  and  Prospkklty 
This  oar  is  surmoiintwl  l3y  an  ant^cl  figure  of  Peace  of  heroic  size.     .Xround  her  winds  the  great 
Horn  of  Plenty  from  which  pours  a  stream  of  unlimited  riches  which   the  '■Oueen  of  Wealth."  in 


the  foreground,  with  her  wand  turns  to  gol 


Car  10.  America 
This  is  the  Car  Triumphant— the  final  car  of  the  pageant.  Upon  the  Steps  of  Advancement 
stands  the  Goddess  of  Prosperity,  mounted  on  the  Wheel  and  Wings  of  Progress.  These  massive 
steps  are  draped  with  the  national  colors  as  protection  and  inspiration.  These  great  flags  are  stud- 
ded with  lights.  Over  the  steps  and  on  the  backs  of  the  great  gilded  lions,  emblematic  of  Might, 
are  seen  hovering  white  doves— a  dove  for  each  of  the  one  hundred  years  of  continual  progress  we 
have  made  since  the  first  flag  flew  over  old  Fort  Armstrong. 


—  53- 


o    c 


-a  *o 


-c  '7. 

* : 

3    i 


Wednesday 

MORNING 


AFTERNOON 


LADIES'  AND  HISTORICAL  DAY 


June  21st 


Ladies'  Floral  i'aradc  in  each  of  the  tliree  cities. 

Three  hundred  cars  owned  and  driven  by  the  cream  of  society  of  Davenport.  Rock  Island,  and 
jNIoline,  beautifully  decorated  with  many  striking  and  novel  effects.  The  route  of  the  parade  is 
over  the  principal  streets  of  all  three  cities. 

Historical  Pageantry  at  the  grandstand  on  ]\Iain  Avenue. 

The  Earliest  Wedding 
historical  note 

A  pair  of  young  pioneers  bent  on  matrimony  came  to  the  trading  post  on  the  island  of  Ko.'k 
Island  searching  for  minister  or  magistrate.  Neither  were  there.  Col.  George  Davenport,  relying 
upon  the  authority  of  his  commission  as  postmaster,  married  them. 

The  young  folks  come  to  the  Davenport  liome  on  the  Island  and  ask  to  be  married.  .Mrs.  Dav- 
enport, sympathizing  with  them,  adds  a  festive  touch  to  the  liride's  costume  and  persuades  Colonel 
Davenport  to  do  his  best.  The  frontier  neighbors  attracterl  bv  the  inci<knt  join  in  a  dance  and 
merry-making. 

1829.     Bl.mk  Hawk.  Jdxaii  H.  C\se  and  the  Pe.vce  Pu-e 

HISTORICAL  note 

Among-  those  who  settled  in  the  Sac  village  were  Jonah  H.  Case  and  family.  They  moved 
into  an  Indian  house  about  where  F'ifteenth  Street  projected  would  cross  Nineteenth  .\venue  in  the 
city  of  Rock  Island.  The  house  was  built  of  posts,  and  sided  and  roofed  with  the  bark  of  trees. 
They  proceeded  to  use  corn  and  vegetables  from  the  cache  of  the  absent  Indians.  In  a  few  days 
Black  Hawk  appeared  and  protested  this  invasion  of  his  own  private  property.  I\Ir.  Case  in  order 
to  appease  the  indignant  chief  made  a  cash  settlement  with  him,  which  pleased  Black  Hawk  to 
such  an  extent  that  he  soon  returned  with  a  peace  pipe.  This  he  smoked  with  j\lr.  Case  and  then 
presented  it  to  him  as  a  token  of  satisfaction.  From  that  time  on  they  remained  fast  friends.  This 
peace  pipe  has  been  recently  presented  to  the  Rock  Island  County  Flistorical  Society  b_\'  Mrs.  R.  .\. 
McEachron,  granddaughter  of  Mr.  Case. 

The  presentation  of  th.e  pipe  is  shown  in  the  dramatization  of  the  incident. 
—  55  — 


eokuk,  a  Chief  of  the  Sacs,  and  his  Son 


Black  Hawk,  a  War  Chief  of  the  Sacs 


Wednesday  June  21st 

183 1.     Spencer's  Ride 

HISTORICAL  note 

When  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  became  threatening  in  183 1  and  a  general  massacre  of  early  settlers 
seemed  imminent,  Jndge  J.  W.  Spencer  visited  the  scattered  homes  of  the  pioneers  and  warned 
them  of  the  clanger.     Whereupon  they  fled  to  the  |)rotection  of  I-'ort  Armstrong. 

This  incident  is  dramatized  by  having  Judge  Spencer  note  a  war  dance  of  the  Indians  around 
the  camp  fire  and  then  riding  from  cabin  to  cabin  giving  warning  of  the  impending  danger.  This 
is  followed  by  a  flight  of  the  settlers  to  safety. 

1832.     Enlistment  for  the  Black  Hawk  Wai< 
;  historical  note 

I'ursnant  to  the  call  for  volunteers  by  Gov.  Reynolds,  of  Illinois,  about  2,000  men  enlisted. 
Among  them  was  Abraham  Lincoln.  These  men  were  organized  into  companies,  selected  their 
officers,  and  were  sworn  in.  Abraham  Lincoln  was  elected  captain,  the  first  ])osition  he  filled  under 
the  government.  Near  the  present  site  of  Milan  ;he  martyred  ]iresident  took  his  first  oa(h  of  al- 
legiance to  the  I'nited  States. 

This  incident  is  represented  by  the  gathering  of  recruits  at  the  head(|uarters  of  the  mustering 
officer.  In  accordance  with  custom  the  men  chose  their  officers  by  those  nominated  taking  ])osition 
and  their  adherents  falling  in  behind  them. 

1832.     Treaty  of  the  Black  H.\wk  Purch.vse 

HISTORICAL  note 

The  prevalence  of  yellow  fever  among  the  troops  at  Fort  .\rmstrong  caused  the  treaty  ending 
the  Second  Black  Llawk  War  to  be  concluded  on  the  site  of  Davenport.  The  United  States  com- 
missioners were  Gen.  Winfield  Scott  and  Gov.  John  Reynolds.  The  In  lians  were  represented  by 
numerous  chiefs,  among  them  Keokuk  and  Pashapaho  of  the  .Sacs,  and  Poweshiek  and  Wapello  of 
the  Foxes.  Antoine  Le  Claire  was  interpreter.  The  eastern  portion  of  Iowa  was  transferred  and 
has  been  called  the  P)lack  Hawk  Purchase.  A  square  mile  of  land  now  covered  by  the  city  of  Dav- 
enport was  reserved  from  transfer  and  was  given  to  Mrs.  Antoine  Le  Claire  by  Keokuk. 

—  57  — 


Poweshiek,  a  Chief  uf  the  Foxes, 


whose  village  was  on  the  site  of  the  city  of  Davenport 


^^'apello,  a  Chief  of  the  Foxes, 

whose  village  was  on  the  site  of  the  city  of  Rock  Island 


Wednesday  June  21st 

The  treaty  grou])  is  made  up  of  commissioners,  army  officers  from  the  fort,  and  a  few  wit- 
nesses.    In  this  incident  is  intnxhiced  an  occurrence  of  one  of  the  many  treaties  of  this  period a 

protest  of  squaws,  who  contend  that  llieirs  is  tlie  ownership  of  the  land  as  thev  till  the  soil. 

1841.     'J'liic  Imrst  Duel  in  Iowa 

HISTORICAI.  NOTE 

Soon  after  the  completion  of  the  handsome  l.e  Claire  House  in  Davenport,  in  1831;,  this  com- 
munity was  sought  by  people  from  the  east  an<l  south,  who  rusticated,  hunted  on  theY)rairies,  and 
added  greatly  to  the  social  life  of  the  infant  cities.  Among  the  grouj)  of  transients  in  1841  were 
four  young  men  named  Heg:ner,  Sperry,  Finch,  and  Ralston.  They  attended  a  dance  at  the  Rock 
Island  House  one  evening,  and  Ralston  and  Hegner  quarreled  over  their  rivalry  for  the  smiles  of 
Miss  .Sophia  Fisher,  a  Davenport  belle.  The  result  of  the  quarrel  was  a  duel  on  the  Iowa  side  at 
sunrise,  shots  being  exchanged  at  twenty  paces.  Dr.  !'.  Cregg  patched  up  Hegner's  right  arm, 
everybody  shook  hands,  and  principals  and  seconds  adjourned  for  a  drink  at  the  Le  Claire  House. 
The  officers  of  the  law  chased  all  concerned  in  the  challenge  and  duel  out  of  the  comnuuiity. 

The  ball  is  shown  and  the  dispute  because  Miss  Fislur  had  prdinised  (he  same  ijance  t(j  both 
Ralston  and  Hegner.  The  second  scene  portrays  the  duel,  wherein  Ralston  offers  to  compromise, 
and  on  refusal  promises  to  wing  his  antagonist,  which  he  did  with  entire  jjromptness  at  tlie  count 
of  three. 

1845.     Farewell  to  Col.  Davenport  ]!Y  Indlan  Imuk.n'ds 

HISTORICAL  note 

Soon  after  the  murder  of  Col.  (ieorge  Davenport,  his  grave  near  his  home  on  the  island  of 
Rock  Island  was  visited  by  a  band  of  Fox  Indians,  who  performed  a  strange  and  interesting  cere- 
mony of  farewell,  making  use  of  a  post  of  white  cedar.  This  post  is  in  the  collection  of  the  Rock 
Island  County  Historical  Society.  Col.  Davenport  was  presented  b\-  his  Indian  friends  with  many 
slaves,  these  slaves  being  those  killed  in  battle  by  the  braves  taking  i)art  in  the  ceremony  of  paint- 
ing the  post. 

The  ceremonies  as  depicted  are  in  accordance  with  the  description  of  the  editor  of  the  Daven- 
port Gazette,  Alfred  Sanders,  who  witnessed  the  event. 

—  59  — 


Logan  Ka-ka-que,  Grandson  of  Black  Hawk,  1916 

Resides  on  the  Sac  Reservation  in  Oklahoma 


Se-us-kuk,  Son  of  Bhick  Hawk 

"The  finest  looking  Indian  I  ever  saw." — Catlin 


Wednesday 


June  21st 


John  Brown  and  the  UNDiiRCRouND  System 

HISTORICAL  note 


EVENING 


John  rirowii  was  a  visitor  to  this  comiminit)  during'  tlie  time  when  the  escape  of  sontlKrn 
slaves  \\'as  licing  aided  liy  tlie  s\'stem  known  as  the  "rnderground  Railroad." 

In  the  scene  a  wagon  load  of  colored  people  is  being  smuggled  to  Canada  and  freedom. 

Our  Country 

The  closing  scene  of  the  afternoon  of  historical  pageantry  is  meant  to  typif}-  our  pride  in  the 
past  of  our  country  and  our  hope  in  its  future.  In  the  tableau  appears  the  impersonation  of  Lib- 
erty, her  defenders,  veterans  of  the  wars  in  her  defense,  and  the  youth  upon  whom  depends  the 
sacred  trust  of  her  perpetuity.  (  )n  one  side  of  the  group  stands  a  group  of  the  soldiers  of  the  War 
of  1812  bearing  a  banner  inscril)e(l,  "I'ort  Armstrong,  1816;  Safety  of  the  Pioneer."  (  )n  the  other 
side  is  a  group  of  jiresent  da\'  soldiers  with  a  banner,  "Rock  Island  Arsenal,  i<)i');  Safetv  of  the 
Nation." 

Special  Eireworks  Display,  "C)ld  Mexico,"  at  Exposition  Park,  Rock  Island. 


■Gl  — 


Alary  Ka  -ka-quc,  Great-great-granddaughter  of  Black  Hawk 

A  graduate  of  Haskell  Indian  School 


Jesse  Ka-ka-que,  Great-grandson  of  Black  Hawk 

A  successful  farmer  on  the  Indian  Reservation  in  Jackson  County,  Kansas 


Thursday  INDUSTRIAL  AND  FRATERNAL  DAY  j^ne  22d 

MORNING  Martial  Session  before  the  grandstand  on  Alain   .\venue.      Hatter}-    11,    luwa   National  (inard, 

and  companies  of  Illinois  National  Gnard  s^o  through  various  drills  and  manuevers. 

AFTERNOON  Industrial-Fraternal  Parade  in  all  three  cities. 

The  workers  of  the  tri-cities,  many  thousand  strong,  march  through  the  streets  of  Davenport, 
Rock  Island,  and  Moline.  Practically  every  labor  organization  in  the  tri-cities  is  represented  by  a 
large  delegation.  Practically  every  business  house  and  manufactor}-  in  the  vicinitv  of  the  tri-cities 
have  floats,  man}-  of  them  elaborate  in  detail  and  Iniilt  at  mucli  ex])ense.  The  automobile  floats 
parade  in  all  three  cities.  Each  of  the  250  lodges  of  the  three  cities  have  invited  their  brother  or- 
ganizations for  several  hundred  miles  around.  It  is  estimated  that  5,000  visiting  lodgemen,  exclu- 
sive of  the  state  convention  of  the  B.  P.  ( ).  E.  in  session  in  Davenport,  are  in  attendance  and  will 
march  in  the  ijarade. 

EVENING  Illuminated  River  Pageant — "Visit  of  Neptune  to  the  Father  of  Waters." 

The  power  boat  clubs  of  Davenport,  Rock  Island,  and  Moline  with  their  four  hundred  craft  of 
all  sizes,  shapes,  and  descriptions,  ranging  from  the  cham|)i(in,  "I'gly  Duckling."  to  the  scows 
used  by  the  shell  fishers,  greet  "Neptune"  as  he  makes  his  voyage  of  state  up  the  majestic  Missis- 
sippi River. 


63- 


Friday  YOUNG    AMERICA    DAY  J,ne23d 

.\1(')RXING  Children's  Parade  in  each  city. 

Thousands  of  children  in  each  of  the  three  c  ties  are  under  the  charge  of  the  school  superin- 
tendents. 
AFTERNOON  Flag  Drills,  Field  Day  Sports,  Folk  Songs,  Baby  Pageant,  etc.,  on  the  Island. 

MOXSTER    LIVING    FL.\G 

This  flag  is  fornietl  in  front  of  the  grandstan  1  and   while   in   formation  various  choruses  are 
sung. 

THE   MILLTiXG   POT 

An  ex])osition  of  all  nations  becoming  Ameri  -ans  through  the  American  spirit.    These  various 
nations  will  be  absorbed  by  the  "Living  Flag." 

FIELD  SPORTS,  G.VMES.  ETC. 

F.X'F.NING  Grand  Review  comjiosed  of  the  Electrical  Spectacular  Pageant  and  the  more  ambitious  entries 

in  the  various  parades  of  the  week. 

Saturday  June  24th 

.\l-'TF,RXOr)X  ^lidsummer  Fete  of  the  Swedish  Societies  at  Pro.-pect  Park.  Aloline. 


Part  of  Indian  Memorial  Post 

Placed  at  the  grave  of  Col.  George  Davenport  by  a  band  of  Fox  Indians 
Now  in  the  collection  of  tiie  Rock  Island  County  Historical  Society 

—  64  — 


The  Fort  Armstrong  Centennial  Association 


p    n    D 


jHE  idea  of  celel')ratinn;  the  Fort  Armstrong  centenary 
had  been  in  mind  for  some  months  when  oit  Sep- 
tember 3,  1915,  a  meeting  of  the  Hoard  of  Directors 
of  the  Rock  Island  County  Historical  Society  was 
held  at  the  home  of  its  secretary.  Mr.  John  H.  Hau- 
berg,  with  the  following  members  present :  Airs.  K.  T.  Ander- 
son, Sherman  W.  Searle,  William  A.  Meese.  Joseph  Pi.  Uakleaf, 
Judson  D.  Metzgar.  (Jrrin  S.  Holt,  lulwin  1!.  AIcKown,  and 
John  H.  Hauberg  ;  and  b\'  s])ecial  invitation.  Col.  George  ^^'. 
Hurr,  C'ommandant  at  Rock  Island  .\rsenal.  The  one  out- 
stantling  purpose  in  the  minds  of  those  present  was  to  use  this 
occasion  to  bring  to  the  minds  of  our  i>e()iile  tlie  wialth  of  his- 
toric interest  of  our  own  immediate  vicinity.  It  was  resolved 
at  this  meeting  that  the  block  house  which  stood  at  the  south 
angle  of  Fort  Armstrong  should  be  restored,  and  that  the 
President  of  the  Historical  .Society,  S.  W.  Searle,  should  ap- 
point two  men  from  each  of  the  cities  of  Davenport,  Iowa,  Mo- 
line  and  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  who.  with  himself  as  chairman, 
should  prepare  plans  for  a  celebration  and  report  back  to  the 
Board  of  Directors  within  a  month.  (  )n  tliis  committee  were 
appointed  Edward  \-l.  Putnam  and  Harry  T-^.  Downer,  repre- 
senting the  Historical  Section  of  the  1  )a\cn|)ort  .\cademy  of 
Sciences  ;  William  A.  J.Ieese  and  Judson  D.  Metzgar,  of  Moline, 
and  ( )rrin  .S.  Holt  and  John  H.  Hauberg,  of  Rock  Island.  Their 
report  to  the  P^oard  of  Directors  of  the  Rock  Island  County 


Historical  Society,  as  adopted,  contained  the  following  recom- 
mendations : 

That  a  celebration  be  held  the  last  full  week  of  June,  1916, 
on  Rock  Island,  if  permission  could  b.?  had  ;  that  an  organization 
of  one  hundred  men  be  effected  ;  that  such  proposed  organization 
be  incorporated :  that  one  of  the  block  houses  be  restored  ;  that 
a  feature  be  made  of  soldiers  of  the  U.  S.  Army  and  of  the 
National  Cniard  of  Illinois  and  of  Iowa:  that  an  historic 
pageant  be  staged  ;  that  speakers  of  national  prominence  be 
secured ;  that  civic,  fraternal,  and  commercial  bodies  be  invited 
to  participate ;  that  we  have  parades,  water  ca.rnivals,  and  fire- 
works, and  that  a  general  home-coming  for  the  three  cities  be 
held. 

It  was  necessary  to  have  permission  of  the  proper  Cnited 
States  authorities  to  erect  the  block  house;  to  hold  the 
celebration  on  the  Island,  and  to  secure  L'nited  States 
troops.  (lur  communications  in  this  behalf  received  in  turn 
the  endorsements  of  George  W.  I'.urr.  Lt.-Col.  Ordnance 
Department,  Commanding:  ^\"illiam  Crozier,  I'rig.-Gen.,  Chief 
of  Ordnance.  C  S.  A.:  W.  M.  Wright,  .\djutant-General ; 
E.  H.  Crowder,  Judge  Advocate-General:  and  by  order 
of  the  Secretary  of  War,  W.  C.  Piennett,  .Adjutant-Gen- 
eral, and  E.  P..  Babbitt.  Col.  Ordnance  Department,  U.  S.  A. 
Permission  to  build  the  block  house  and  to  stage  the  celebration 
on  the  Island  was  granted,  and  it  was  understood  that  United 
States  troops  in  considerable  force  would  be  sent  if  foreign 
relations  [jermitted. 


■65- 


Xow  that  the  way  was  clear,  the  committee  of  one  hundred 
was  called  to  attend  a  banquet  at  the  Rock  Island  Club,  where, 
after  a  number  of  stirrings  addresses,  a  petition  was  signed  for 
incorporation,  not  for  pecuniary  profit,  under  the  laws  of  the 
state  of  Illinois,  and  a  board  of  twenty  directors  elected  to  take 
control  of  the  activities  of  "The  Fort  Armstrong  Centennial  As- 
sociation." 

Thursday  of  each  week,  dating  from  January  lo,  1916.  has 


seen  a  meeting  of  this  I'.oard,  augmented  week  after  week  by 
the  addition  of  members  of  committees.  George  D.  Benson,  of 
Chicago,  was  engaged  as  director-general,  and  as  the  plans  de- 
veloped, the  organization  increased  in  momentum  and  in 
promise  of  success. 

The  personnel  of  officers  and  committees,  who  gave  of  their 
best  that  this  might  he  the  greatest  celebration  ever  attempted 
by  the  three  cities  jointly,  is  as  follows : 


Alfred  C.  Alueller 

Joe  R.  Lane 

C.  A.  Ficke 

Col.  Geo.  W.  French 

W.  D.  Petersen 

A.  F.  Dawson 

P.  T.  Walsh 

J.  J.  Richardson 

E.  "p.  Adler 

Dr.  G.  E.  Decker 

Henry  ^"ollmer 

W.  J.McCullough 

Paul  Lagomarcino 

H.  E.  Weeks 

Oswald  Becker 

Judge  \\'m.  Theophilus 

Judge  J.  \\".  Bollinger 

R.  H.  Harned 

N.  D.  Elv  C.  X.  \'oss 


COMMITTEE 

'AVEXPORT 

Harry  E.  Downer 

Edward  K.  Putnam 

Henry  Karwarth 

Fred  Lischer 

\\".  T.  ^^'aterman 

William  Korn 

Carl  E.  Schlegel 

John  F.  Dow 

J.  W.  Bettendorf 

J.  Clark  Hall 

Geo.  M.  Bechtel 

I.  C.  Norwood 

C.  E.  Harrison 

C.  W.  Pinneo 

S.  H.  Moorhead 

Capt.  W.  A.  Shirk 

William  Heuer 

Judge  Nathaniel  French 

T.  H.  Hass         Charles  Shuler 


OF  ONE  HUNDRED 

Col.  Geo.  W.  Burr 
Col.  Cooper 


ROCK  ISLAND  ARSENAL 

Maj.  D.  M.  King 
Capt.  A.  D.  Minnick 


I'hil  Mitchell 
H.  S.  Cable 
Prank  ]Mixter 
Morris  S.  Heagy 
John  G.  Huntoon 
F.  K.  Rhoads 

B.  D.  Connelly 
Chas.  J.  Larkin 
Chas.  Esplin 

H.  H.  Cleavelanil 
F.  C.  Denkmann 
S.  S.  Davis 

C.  E.  Sharpe 

David  Sears,  Sears,  111. 
W.  J.  Spencer,  .Sears.  Ill 


ROCK   ISLAND 

Geo.  H.  Richmond 

E.  C.  Fisher 

E.  H.  Guyer 

Gustav  Andreen 

J.  T.  Marron 

S.  W.  Searle 

Orrin  S.  Holt 

John  H.  Hauberg 

'w.  S.  AlcCombs 

W.  J.  Sweeney 

K.  T.  Anderson 

W.  F.  Ammerman 

H.  W.  Horst        J.  L.  \'ernon 

A.  A.  Buffum,  Edgington,  111. 

Lewis  Guldenzopf,  Milan,   111. 


—  66  — 


MOMNE 


W  111.  Butterwortli 
G.  A.  Stephens 
M.  R.  Carlson 
O.  F.  Anderson 
A.  T.  Foster 
R.  S.  Hosford 
A.  G.  Abraham 
W.  A.  ]\Ieese 


J.  D.  ;\Ietzgar 
Mauritz  Jolmson 
Dr.  W.  E.  Taylor 
Lowrie  Bland  ing 
Geo.  W.  Mixter 
C.  P.  Skinner 
P.  S.  r^IcGlynn 
Harrv  Ainsworth 


C.  S.  Kerns 

\V.  H.  Whiteside 

R.  S.  Haney 

AI.  J.  McEniry 

J.  B.  Oakleaf" 

Geo.  W.  Ross.  East  Moline 

A.  Ik  Johnson,  East  Moline 

Dr.  W.  R.  I'reek,  Cordova 


E.  E.  Morgan 
Henry  Gripp 
G.  H.  Schorbeck 
R.  S.  Woodburn 

Geo.  W.  McMurphy,  Hillsdale 
J.  W.  .Simonson,  Port  I'.yron 
Dr.  \\'.  11.  Lvford,  Port  llvron 


OFFICERS.  i;().\RD  OF  DIRECTORS,  AXD  COMMITTEES 


President — I.  L'.  Norwood,  l^avenport. 
\'ice-President— H.  S.  Cable.  Rock  Island 


Vice-President — A.  F.  Dawson,  Davcniiorl. 
Secretary — J.  H.  Hauberg,  Rock  Island. 
Treasurer — I.  T.  Marron,  Rock  Island. 


H.  E.  \\'eeks 
A.  F.  Dawson 
E.  K.  Pntnam 


D.WE.XPORT 

I.  C.  Norwood 
F.  B.  Yetter 


D.WENPORT 


W.  J.  McCullongh 
R.  H.  Harned 
I.  C.  Norwood 


UOC'K    ISIA.M) 
E.XECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 

H.  H.  Cleaveland 

FI.N'AXCE  COMMITTEE 

H.  \V.  Cozad 


BOARD  OF  DIRECTORS 

MOLINE 

G.  A.  Stephens 
E.  E.  Morgan 
Win.  Butterworth 

COMMITTEE  CHAIRMEN 


ROCK  I.SL.\ND 


S.  S.  Davis 
H.  S.  Cable 
S.  W.  Searle 


J.  T.  JMarron 
Chas.  Esplin 
J.  H.  Hauberg 


MOLI.XE 


MOLINE  DAVENrOKT  UOCK   I.SL.\ND 

BLOCK  HOUSE  COMMITTEE 

E.  E.  Morgan  W.  J.  ]\lcCullough       Phil  .Mitchell  G.  A.  Stephens 

IIOME-COMIXG   .\XD   INF0RM.\TI0N   COMMITTEE 

M.  J.  Mcl'Iniry  E.  P.  Adler  H.  P.  Simpson  E.  E.  Morgan 

—  67  — 


DAVEXPORT 


BOCK    ISLAND 


DAVEXPOIIT 


ROCK   ISLAND 


IIOLINE 


PAGEAXT   .AMD    PROGRAM    COMMITTEE 

H.  E.  Downer  O.  S.  Holt  C.  P.  Skinner 

E.  K.  Putnam  S.  \\".  Searle  J.  H.  Haubersf 


PRESS  AXD  PUP.I.ICITV  COMMITTEE 

F.  D.  Throop  H.  H.  Cleaveland         P.  S.  McGlynn 

YOUXG  AMERICA  DAY  COMMITTEE 

F.  L.  Smart  E.  C.  Fisher  L.  A.  ^Mahoney 

INDUSTRIAL  COMMITTEE 

Sam  T.  White  C.  E.  Sharpe  A.  C.  Barber 

FLORAL  COMMITTEE 

Mrs.  H.  E.  \\"eek;s       Mrs.  Frank  Mi.xter     .Mrs.  G.  .\.  Stephens  John  Berwak' 

FR.VTERNWL  COMMITTEE 

Fred  \\'ernentin.  Jr.    Tames  McXamara        Martin  R.  Carlson 


PRE.MIUMS  .\XD  PRIZES  COMMITTEE 

H.  E.  Srharff  I.  J.  Green  M.  J.  Copeland 

TR.\ XS rORTATIOX    COM M ITTEE 

Chairman  at  Large — J.  G.  Huntoon. 
T.  F.  Halliffan  \\".  A.  Rosenfield         A.  R.  Ebl 


MUSIC  COMMITTEE 

G.  Decker  French        M.  E.  Stricter  ^^'.  H.  ^^"hitsitt 

COXCE.SSIOXS  COMMITTEE 

J.  H.  Schaefcr  H.  A.  Clevenstine        G.  S.  Fitzgibbons 

IXVITA.TIOX  CO.MM  ITTEE 

\\"m.  McConochie        Martin  R.  Carlson 


n   n    D 


Corner-stone  of  the  Rebuilt  Block  House 


The  corner-stone  of  the  rebuilt  block  house  on  the  site  of  the 
soutli  angle  of  Fort  .\rmstrong  was  laid  under  the  auspices  of 
Augustana  College  and  Theological  Seminary.  May  lo,  1916, 


this  date  being  the   centenary  of  the  landing  of  Gen.   T.   .A.. 
Smith,  Col.  \MlIiam  Lawrence,  and  the  United  States  troops. 


—  68  — 


I '1/3 
1699 

1762 
1763 


1780 


i7i^3 

1801 
1803 


CHRONOLOGY 

□    n    D 

June.     Marquette  and  Joliet  come  down  the  Mississippi,  1804  Xov.  3.    First  Sac  and  Fox  treaty  cedes  to  United  States 

passing  the  island  of  Rock  Island.  territory  between  the  [Mississippi  and  Illinois  Rivers. 

(Alxiut).     French  occupy  Mississippi  X'alley.  1803  August.     Lieutenant  Zebulon   Pike  ascends  Mississippi 

River,  carrying  the  American  flag  and  visits  the   Sac 

FRENCH  .AND  iNDi.\i\  WAR  Indians. 

France   cedes    to    Spain    territory    west   of    ^Mississippi  war  of  181 2 

R^^'^''-  1814  May.     General  William  Clark  passes  up  the  river  to  es- 

England  wins  from  France  the  territory  east  of  Missis-  tablish  a  fort  at  Prairie  du  Chien.     Skirmish  with  Sac 

sippi  River.  and  Fox  Indians. 

REVOi.UTiON.XRY  w.\K  >^'4  .T"'.'''    "'•      I'^^ttle  of  Campbell's   Island.     Captain  John 

Campbell  defeated  bv  Indians  with  Pritish  sympathies. 
A  detachment  of  American  troops  under  Lt.-Col.  John 

Montgomery    destroys    the    Sac    village    of    Saukenuk  1814  Sept.  5.     Battle  of  Credit  Island.     Zachery  Taylor,  llre- 

at  mouth  of  Rock  River.     This  was  a  part  of  the  George  vet  Major,  defeated  by  British  and  Indians. 

Rogers  Clark  expedition  that  saved  the   Northwest  to  „  n    ..     r  c  1  t-     .=     ,,.1.^  fi,..;,-  ),„,„,  „.,   -vr;--^,,,-; 

°  .  ....  ...  1815  Part  of  Sacs  and  roxes  make  tlieir  lionie  on  Alissoun 

the  colonies.     Illinois  at  this  time  was  a  count v  of  \'ir-  „. 

River, 
ginia. 

T,    .,     ,      ,      ,     .       ,,     r.       1   .•  \\-       ^1     r-   -^    1  181  s  Sept.  8.    Eighth  U.  S.  Infantry,  in  command  of  Col.  R. 

Liv  the  treaty  closmg  the  Rexolutionarv  W  ar.  the  L  mted  -  '  ,      ,   ,     -,      ^       ■  ,  ,•  ,         r  t^     , 

^'  ■       r      '    T-      1       .   .1      .    ■  ■.  .      r  .1  G.   Nichols,  left  St.  Louis  to  establish  a   fort  on   Kock 

States  secures   trom  Lngland   the  territory  east  of  the 

,,-■••  -D-  '  ■  Island. 

Mississippi  River. 

Spain  cedes  back  to  France  the  territory  west  of  the  'SiS  Sept.  13-14.    Treaties  with  the  Missouri  River  Sacs  and 

Mississippi  River.  Foxes  at  St.  Louis.     Treaty  of  1804  confirmed. 

France  sells  to  the  United  States  the  territory  west  of  1815  Expedition  to  build  fort  on  Rock  Island  goes  into  winter 

the  Mississippi  River — the  Louisiana  Purchase.  quarters  at  site  of  Warsaw. 

—  69  — 


i8i6  May  lo.  L'nitetl  States  troops  land  on  Rock  Island  to 
establish  F"ort  Armstrong.  Rrevet  General  T.  A.  Smith 
with  Rifle  regiment  and  Eighth  U.  S.  Infantrj-  under 
Lt.-Col.  William  Lawrence. 

1818     Illinois  admitted  as  state. 

1823     First  steamboat  arrived. 

1825  Col.  (ieorge  Davenport  commissioned  postmaster. 

1826  First  house  built  on  Illinois  side  by  Col.  George  Daven- 
port and  Russell  Farnham.  Afterward  known  as  "John 
Barrel  House." 

1827  Ferry  established  between  Fort  Armstrong  and  Iowa 
shore  by  Col.  Davenport. 

1828  Eight  settlers  arrive  on  Illinois  side  in  winter. 
1828     Keokuk  and  followers  go  to  live  on  Iowa  River. 

nl-.ACI-;    HAWK   WARS 

183 1     Spring.     Black  Hawk  warns  settlers  to  leave. 

183 1  April  30.  Settlers  petition  Governor  of  Illinois  for  pro- 
tection from  hostile  Indians. 

1831  June  20.  Illinois  militia  and  U.  S.  soldiers  shell  \'an- 
druff's  Island,  opposite  Black  Hawk's  Watch  Tower. 

1831     June  26.     Saukenuk  burned. 

1831  June  30.  Treaty  at  I'ort  Armstrong  with  Black  Hawk, 
who  agrees  to  remain  west  of  the  Mississippi  River. 
End  of  the  first  Black  Hawk  War. 


1832 
1832 

1832 

1832 

1833 
1833 
1S34 
1834 
1835 

1S36 

1836 

1836 


April  6.  Black  Hawk  and  his  band  cross  the  Mississippi 
River  at  Yellow  Banks  on  their  way  to  Rock  River. 

Aug.  24.  Battle  of  Bad  Ax  and  capture  of  Black  Hawk 
ends  second  Pilack  Hawk  War. 

Sept.  15.    Treaty  with  Winnebagoes  at  Fort  Armstrong. 

Sept.  21.  Treaty  with  Sacs  and  Foxes  on  what  is  now 
Davenport  cedes  eastern  portion  of  Iowa,  the  "Black 
Hawk  Purchase,"  to  the  United  States. 

Antoine  Le  Claire  built  "Treaty  Site"  house  in  Daven- 
port. 

First  frame  house  built  in  Davenport  by  George  L.  Dav- 
enport. 

Dr.  John  Emerson,  post  surgeon,  brings  his  slave.  Dred 
Scott,  to  Fort  Armstrong  from  St.  Louis. 

Ferry  between  Illinois  and  Iowa  shores  established  by 
Antoine  Le  Claire. 

Town  of  Stephenson  founded.  Settlement  had  earlier 
been  known  as  Farnhamsburg.  Xame  changed  to  Rock 
Island  in  1841. 

^lay  4.  Fort  Armstrong  evacuated.  Troops  removed  to 
Fort  Snelling. 

Town  of  Davenport  founded. 

Sept.  28.  Treatv  with  Sacs  and  Foxes  at  Davenport. 
Sale  of  Keokuk  reserve,  on  Iowa  River  in  Southeastern 
Iowa. 


—  70  — 


1837     ^^  ater  power  developed  1)\    D.   11.  Scars  between  island 
of  Rock  Island  and  Illinois  shore. 

1845     J"'.^   4-     ^o'-  George  Davenport  mnrdered  at  his  home 
on  Kock  Island  by  the  'T.anditti  of  the  Prairie." 

184')     Iowa  admitted  as  a  state. 

1854     I'eb.  22.     Chicago  &  Rock  Island  Railroad  completed. 

1854  Oct.  8.      Barracks  and  one  block  honse  of  Fort  Arm- 
strong bnrned. 

1855  Oct.  7.    Another  portion  of  Fort  Armstrong  burned. 

1856  April  21.    First  train  crosses  first  Mississippi  bridge.      ' 

1858  John  Brown  comes  to  Davenport.     Underground  rail- 
way. 

1859  Alay  23.     Ofificers'  quarters.  Fort  Armstrong,  destroyed 
b\-  fire. 


1861  .Sept.  25.     Death  of  Antoinc  Lc  Claire. 

civil.   WAK 

1862  July  1 1.  Congress  makes  appropriation  to  build  national 
arsenal  on  island  of  Rock  Island.  \\ Hrk  commenced  on 
first  arsenal  building  following  year. 

1863  Dec.  3.  Arrival  of  the  first  detacliment  of  Confederate 
prisoners  confined  on  Rock  Island.  These  were  captured 
at  Lookout  .Mountain.  Total  number  during  the  war 
was  over  12,000. 

1865  Present  shops  of  Rock  Island  .-\rsenal  planned  by  Gen. 
T.  J.  Rodman. 

1872     (Jet.  2.     Second  Mississippi  bridge  completed. 

1895     Second  bridge  replaced  b_\'  present  structure. 


Black  Hawk's  Tomahawk 

Owned  by  the  Rock  Island  County  Historical  Society 


-71  — 


Gen.  Winfield  Scott, 

Commander  of  United  Stales  troops  in  the  Black  Hawk  Wars, 
with  headquarters  on  the  island  of  Rock  Island 


Under  Many  Flags 

n    □    □ 

Iowa  Side  Illinois  Side 


Mouinl  liuiklers. 

Indians. 

Before  1762.     France. 

1 762- 1 80 1.        Spain. 

1801-1803.        France. 
Since  1803.       United  States. 


1803-1804.  "Louisiana  Purchase.'" 

1804-1805.  Indiana   Territory. 

1805-1812.  Louisiana  Territory. 

1812-1821.  Missouri  Territory. 

1821-1834.  I'norganized  territory. 

1832.  Ceded  by  Sacs  and  Foxes. 

1834-1836.  Michigan  Territory. 

1836-1838.  Wisconsin  Territory. 

1 838- 1 846.  Iowa  Territory. 

Since  1846.  Iowa  State. 


.Mound  Builders. 

Indians. 

Before  1763.     France. 

1763-1783.        England. 

Since  1783.       United  States. 


1783-1788.  Claimed   Ijy   X'irginia,   Connecticut,  and    New 

^'ork.     Ceded  to  I-'etleral  GoveruuKiit.. 

1788-1800.  Xorthwest  Territory. 

1800-1809.  Indiana  Territory. 

1S04.  Ceded  by  Sues  and  Fo-ves. 

i8o<>i8i8.  Illinois  Territory. 

Since  1818.  Illinois  State. 


73- 


The  John  A.  Dix.  Sevmth  En.G:ine  of  the  Mississippi  8z  Missouri  Raih-oail 

Taken  over  the  river  on  the  ice  in  the  winter  of  1855 


Commandants  of  Rock  Island  Arsenal 


n    □    n 


MAJ.  C  P.  KINGS BERY i863-i8fi5 

GEN.  THOMAS  J.  RODMAN 1865-1871 

COL.  D.  W.  FLAGEER 1871-1886 

r(  )L.  THOMAS  G.  BAYLOR 1886-1889 

COL.  J.  x\L  WHITTEMORE 1889-1892 

COL.  A.  R.  Bl'FFINGTON 1892- 1897 

CAPT.  S.  !•:.  P.LUNT 1897-19)7 

LT.-COL.  F.  E.  H(  )\\\\S 1907-191 1 

LT.-COL.  GEORGI'.  W.   lU'RR 1911 


■75- 


Official  Photographer 
J.  B.  Hosteller 
Davenport,  Iowa 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 
Q  977  3393R590  0001 

OFFICIAL  BOOK  OF  THE  FORT  ARMSTRONG  CENT 


ini<:-iiRRiiii  1 


